Lost Chronicles II: One World

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 201 - Kingdom of Steel

Zelda Kasuto​

Massive buildings tore themselves across the nearby horizon with their bizarre shapes, several of them appearing to be leafless trees rather than construction of mankind. We had crossed over into the border of Cherifia Territory just the other day. It was quite warm, almost as hot as the desert kingdom due to the sun reflecting off the many metallic buildings and into the land. In fact, the majority of the population for this territory consisted of Machine and Android Digimon like Andromon. There weren’t very many Humans, and many of them were mechanics in order to assist the mechanical Digimon with whatever malfunctions they might have.

“This place is like a maze,” Statuedramon said. Around us, Mia, Giselle, Celtinemon, and Reapermon all nodded in agreement. “We’ll have to be careful; none of us have been here before, and there aren’t any cities. It’s like this whole territory is one big city…”

“Thanks to our connection with Omnimon, we were always able to count on Cherifia as an ally, but we’ve still never met the king and queen,” I said. “QueenChessmon and KingChessmon…”

“W-Wait…KingChessmon? Are you sure?” Mia asked. “Hold on…Lizzy told me that she fought against him! Back when we were fighting against Daemon, she fought against him with Eleanora and Sparrow! Is that guy really the king of this place?!”

“Yes…I’ve heard a rumor that the king of Cherifia has been missing for a while; no doubt his alliance with Daemon is to blame,” I said. “Was KingChessmon killed in that battle?”

“No; Lizzy said he just ran away. He was too much of a coward to stay and fight,” Mia said.

“That makes sense; tales of the queen’s valor has spread far and wide throughout the kingdoms,” Reapermon said. “QueenChessmon herself travels just as far to help even total strangers from all kinds of perilous situations.”

“Wow…she sounds just like Lucia!” Giselle said in awe.

“Yeah; except she doesn’t have a violent streak like our Lucy,” Mia sighed. “I’ve heard that she’s as nice and gentle as Larraine!”

“She is; a real hero, that queen. Bold and caring,” Reapermon said sadly.

“Is something wrong, Reapermon?” I asked.

“…You’ll understand when we reach the castle,” Reapermon responded.

“Castle? There is no castle. The queen lives alone in this scrap-heap of iron you see before you.” A tall man, muscular and shirtless, walked up to our group.

“M-May I ask for your name?” I asked. And…did he say the queen lives alone? Everything’s coming together, slowly and steadily… except more slow and less steady. How annoying…

“Yeah. The name’s Craig; part of the Cherifia Royal Army,” the man said, adjusting the violet bandana covering his raven hair. “The queen’s inside right now. Did you have an appointment to see her?”

“We do not, but it is important that we speak with her,” Reapermon said. “We are representatives from the mercenary guild Lachesis.”

“Ah, yeah, I’ve heard of you guys. Honored to finally get to meet you!” Craig exclaimed, sounding excited and coolly casual at the same time as he fiddled around with a wrench in his hands. “Yeah, you guys are almost as famous as our king!”

“And…what of your queen?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, right, I guess you haven’t heard yet; our brave king has been missing in action for a little while now. Actually, I’m surprised you haven’t heard yet. Big news around here,” Craig said.

Brave…king?! I thought their queen was the fighter! What is going on here?!

“Such a shame; KingChessmon was a real legend around here. Without him, our queen’s been all sad; kinda disheartening, really,” Craig sighed.

“W-Wait…I thought it was the queen who was the brave fighter,” Giselle said.

“Ha! Who’ve you been gossiping with, cutie? The queen’s a coward! I mean, she’s a total sweetheart and all, but a raindrop in a rainstorm could scare QueenChessmon!” Craig laughed. “But anyway, since the king’s gone missing — probably during some heroic battle — QueenChessmon hasn’t exactly been high-spirited, you know?”

“Yes, I can understand that. But, will the queen be willing to visit with us?” I asked.

“Oh, sure; I’ve actually heard her say she’s wanted to meet with you for quite some time now, even before the king’s gone missing. C’mon.” In a swift motion, Craig fastened his wrench to his belt, and began to lead us to the ‘scrap-heap’ he mentioned earlier.

“Wait, just like that?” Celtinemon asked. “No…waiting in line, or protocol, or anything…?”

“Nah; Cherifia is rather laid back, it’s mostly Machine Digimon here, so extra security isn’t necessary,” Craig said, shoving open the large metal doors before him, and were greeted by a small group of Digimon. “…Ah! Speak of the Devimon, here are some of those Machine Digimon! The big blue guy over there? That’s my own partner, Ballistamon!”

“Hey, who’re these guys? Here to see the queen?” the Ballistamon asked. Around him, a MetalMamemon, BishopChessmon, and RookChessmon all glanced up at us.

“That’s the story; mercenaries from Lachesis,” Craig answered.

“…Are you certain of their story?” the BishopChessmon asked. “I’ve heard of their guild, but how certain are you that they are from the mercenary guild? You should exude more caution, Craig.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it; if Craig thinks it’s them, then they probably are the real deal!” Ballistamon added.

“…You two are fools. Without our king, our queen is our kingdom’s last line of defense! Should something befall her, Cherifia will fall into utter chaos!” BishopChessmon yelled. “With Examon away as well, we are all there is to protect our queen!”

“Calm yourself, older brother,” RookChessmon said calmly. “If they have business with our queen, we should let them by. Nothing ill will befall her or Cherifia by simply allowing that.”

“Hmph…I’m surrounded by witless fools,” BishopChessmon sighed, lowering his head.

“Oh, don’t be like that! Just let ‘em see the queen already! If it’s something important, then we’re just delaying them for no good reason!” MetalMamemon said. “Go on! The queen’s right in that room over there! Metal Smirk Bomb!” MetalMamemon pointed his arm at a pair of large metal doors, and blasted them open.

“M-MetalMamemon! Why in the Goddess’s name would you do something like that?!” BishopChessmon asked.

“Don’t worry; those doors are old and worn down. Something like that won’t break them! If anything, I probably fixed ‘em!” MetalMamemon exclaimed.

“That’s not what I meant! The queen is beyond those doors! What if you had hit her?!” BishopChessmon screamed.

“…Just go in. The others will keep arguing for a while,” RookChessmon sighed.

“My knights are arguing again? Whatever could be the problem this time?” A tall Digimon stepped through smoldering doors MetalMamemon had blasted.

“M-My queen! How fare you on this day?” BishopChessmon asked quickly, immediately bowing before the Digimon after he had finished firing an attack at MetalMamemon.

“This is QueenChessmon?” I asked.

“Yup, the one and only,” Craig said. “You wanted to see her? Well, here she is.”

“I heard you speaking from the other room, even before MetalMamemon was kind enough to open the doors,” QueenChessmon said. Her voice was calm and gentle, and the manner with which she carried herself, from her voice to her graceful movements and mannerisms all befitting a queen. “You are from Lachesis, aren’t you?”

“Y-Yes, milady; um…I’m not really sure where to begin,” I said quietly.

“Take your time, my dear; I’m sure there’s plenty of time,” QueenChessmon said gently.

“Well, um, the thing is, we really don’t,” I said. “Have you heard of IceDevimon before? We’re afraid he might be coming after you and the other royals. We wanted to come here before anything bad happened.”

“…IceDevimon? He’s really on his way?” QueenChessmon asked.

“More or less. The truth is, they’re after a specific gemstone that may be in your possession,” Reapermon said.

“A…gemstone? I don’t have anything like that. But, why would the legendary IceDevimon be after something like that?” QueenChessmon asked.

“We aren’t too sure of the details yet, I’m afraid; there’s some kind ancient magic involved with them that IceDevimon is after, and we think all the royals of Celosia Province may have one,” I said. “Emperor Tso Lan had one; he asked that we protect it from his errant brother.”

“A Digimon called Anubismon first alerted us to the presence of the magic within him, and that IceDevimon would soon go after them,” Reapermon added.

“…I see. Well, as I said earlier, I haven’t got any sort of gemstone in my possession,” QueenChessmon. “…There is a possibility that my husband may have had one…”

“Do you mean KingChessmon?” Mia asked.

“Indeed, young lady; as you may have heard, KingChessmon has gone missing after, well, going into battle,” QueenChessmon said unsteadily.

I wonder if she knows about him…If she does, then she may very well have been working for Daemon as well!

“…My lady…Just how much do you really know about your husband?” Reapermon asked. “There is such kindness in your voice…I cannot believe that you would be involved with someone like Daemon.”

“Daemon…? Who might that be?” QueenChessmon asked.

Hm…She seems genuinely unaware of him. I guess she hasn’t heard his name before after all. That’s a relief…

The tall Digimon glanced over at her knights, who had all gone back to arguing amongst themselves the moment their queen started speaking to us. “…Since you are outsiders, you may know this, but…My husband is rather…cowardly. I am often away on missions to help those in need.”

“Yes, that’s what we’ve heard, but we were told the opposite by one of your knights,” I said.

“Indeed…That is the story KingChessmon has been feeding to the public,” QueenChessmon said. “He’s been telling all of our knights and people that he’s the one going around helping others, despite his true, hidden nature. I never really minded; I was never in it for the fame.”

“That sounds about right; Lizzy told me that KingChessmon was really wimpy,” Mia said.

“Yes; this is a rather…accurate way of putting it,” QueenChessmon sighed. “I never knew why he did it, and I never once questioned him. You know…I just don’t know what to make of his extended absence. But, now that you’re telling me IceDevimon may be involved, I’m beginning to understand further. I believe it may be possible that my husband may have one of those gemstones you earlier mentioned.”

“Really?! Are you certain of this?!” Reapermon asked.

“Absolutely not; I only stated it as a possibility,” QueenChessmon said. “Since he’s been gone for so long, I’d write off anything as being possible…even his death.”

“His death…?”

“…You must understand, my dear, that my husband and I were not bound by marriage for the sake of love. Our marriage was arranged for some political stunt by our parents, and we’ve never even had children. Now do you understand why I spend so much time away? I’d rather help people than spend my time with some man who doesn’t love me,” QueenChessmon said quietly. “…I’m sorry…I don’t have any valuable information to offer you, Lachesis. Please, forgive me for failing you…”

“QueenChessmon, you’ve done nothing of the sort. Please, don’t apologize for a lack of information. But, with IceDevimon running on the loose, I must ask that you be careful from here on,” I said.

“Yes…I will. And I wish you luck on your search for the gemstones,” QueenChessmon said.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 202 - Union of the Snake

Flamedramon​

Elphierr Territory is the southernmost territory of Celosia Province, the hottest and the closest to the desert province. The people in the bazaar we walked through acted in a similar manner as the desert dwellers, due to their dwellings harsh environments, wearing the same thin and light clothing and avoiding direct sunlight as much as possible. Physically, I felt right at home in such an environment, but any time spent in the desert always brought up bad memories from my past.

“…How is everyone holding up?” I asked. Behind me, Matthew, Elizabeth, and Tamiko all dragged their feet through the sand, all of them drenched in sweat looking beyond exhausted. Coronamon, Quetzalmon, and Kentaurosmon had a similar look of exhaustion in their eyes, but otherwise didn’t look anywhere near as exhausted as their partners. “We can stop to rest for a while if you’d like.”

“N-No…that won’t be…necessary,” Tamiko whispered. Of the six, she was the furthest behind, and was on the verge of collapse.

“My lady, do you need a ride?” Kentaurosmon asked.

“No, I’m…I’m fine,” Tamiko said. Her face seemed both bright red and pale at the same time, and her entire body was drenched in sweat, far more so than the others. “I’m…fine…” Tamiko’s lips mouthed one more word, and then collapsed to the ground.

“TAMIKO!” Kentaurosmon immediately knelt down to his liege, and picked her up gently off of the sand. “My lady…My lady, please wake up!”

“Kentaurosmon, she’ll be fine,” I said. “She just needs to rest. Don’t shake her up too much.”

“Flamedramon…her fever is getting really high, and it’s more than just from the current temperature!” Kentaurosmon exclaimed. “She needs to see a healer immediately!”

“Relax; there are plenty of healers here in Elphierr!” I said. “I’ve heard this happens to people frequently, so there are many doctors ready to aid them.”

“Then let’s hurry and find one! Her fever’s getting worse!” Kentaurosmon snapped. The Mega Digimon gently placed Tamiko on his back, and charged forward through the bazaar in a near-craze.

“…Quetzalmon, place Elizabeth, Coronamon, and Matthew on your back. We’ll need to be quick to chase after him,” I sighed.

“Yes, master,” Quetzalmon said in a surprisingly obedient voice, slithering in between Elizabeth’s legs to carry her on his back.

“…Must you always carry me in such a manner?” Elizabeth asked as Matthew and Coronamon climbed onto the Digimon’s back.

“Yes. I must!” Quetzalmon exclaimed.

“And…why is that?” Elizabeth asked.

“…I don’t know,” Quetzalmon said. “Just go with it, okay?”

“Fine…Just don’t go too far up with your head, understood?”

“Enough talking; we need to catch up with Kentaurosmon,” I said. “Tamiko’s the only thing on his mind every day of the week; he’s likely to do more harm than good for the task at hand.” About a yard away, Kentaurosmon reared up and busted open two large golden doors with his front hooves, and then charged in. “See what I mean…?” I sighed. Quetzalmon and I walked slowly through the doors after him, and into a massive outdoor garden. “…Oh no…This better not be where I think it is…”

“Is this a castle courtyard?” Matthew asked.

“Yeah…and this isn’t just any castle…this is the capital city of Elphierr Territory, so this is where the Queen lives,” I said quietly. “And Kentaurosmon just barged in, unannounced. Yeah, we’re going to get in trouble…” I spotted Kentaurosmon up head, standing completely still. “What’s wrong now?”

“…Let’s just say that you were right about everything you said about me,” Kentaurosmon said. “It looks like I’ve barged into some place that I shouldn’t have. You shouldn’t have followed me…” A massive spear flew through the air and buried itself in the ground just inches away from Kentaurosmon; the dirt around the spear’s tip dissolved and faded away.

“Was that spear…poisoned?” I asked.

“Yesssss…and I was the one who fired it,” a raspy voice said. A large Digimon spiraled around a golden column from the corner of my eye; a pair of vicious jaws rushed past my head, just barely missing me.

“A Sandiramon!” I exclaimed. “Poisonous snakes…”

“Preccccccisely,” the Sandiramon hissed. “By order of our leader, none shall enter thissssss cassssstle! Now, perish!”

“Listen; my partner is having a heat stroke, and I will see that she recovers! Take us to a healer at once!” Kentaurosmon ordered.

“You fool…do you know where it isssssss that you’ve ssssssset foot?” Sandiramon asked. “You won’t live to regret your deccccccison!” A bolt of blue lightning struck the ground before us, and right next to it, a swirl of flames erupted from the ground. “Ahh…welcome back, boysssss!”

“…I see we have some intruders,” a voice emanated from the lightning bolt.

“You’ve been slacking, Sandiramon!” another voice from the flames growled.

Those voices; they sound like Beast Digimon, I thought. Two Digimon, Raidramon and Lynxmon, stepped forward, glaring at Kentaurosmon. Sandiramon slithered his way towards the two, and faced us as well. “You all look pretty confident for being outnumbered.”

“Doessssssn’t matter; we were given our orderssssss, and we fill fulfill them!” Sandiramon hissed.

“We are outnumbered; we are weaker. Still, we shall win!” Lynxmon roared.

“Our conviction to win is greater; therein lies our victory!” Raidramon added.

“Do not count out the power of my conviction! My friend is on the verge of death, and I will find her a healer!” Kentaurosmon bellowed.

“That isssss not our concccccern, intruderssssss!” Sandiramon yelled. “Venom Axe!”

“Thermal Mane!”

“Thunder Blast!” Kentaurosmon held up his shield to block the oncoming attacks, but was pushed back by their force.

“D-Damn it…I will…protect…my partner!” Kentaurosmon shouted.

“Hold on! Fire Rocket!” I jumped headfirst into Lynxmon’s flames, using them to strengthen my own attack before crashing into the beast.

“Freezing Wave!”

“Corona Flame!” The two attacks of Quetzalmon and Coronamon collided with Raidramon’s lightning, pushing back the attack of the other beast. With no other attack holding him back, Kentaurosmon charged forth, picking up Sandiramon’s axe and striking the Exalted Beast with it.

“…Well, that wasn’t so hard,” I said, standing above Lynxmon’s unconscious body. Across the courtyard, the combined efforts of Quetzalmon and Coronamon managed to overpower Raidramon’s attacks, taking out the other beast.

“N…No…we…we failed…ssssssso eassssssily,” Sandiramon whispered. “Who…jussssst who are you? No ordinary banditssssss…”

“We aren’t bandits, you idiot. We are from the mercenary guild Lachesis!” I said firmly.

“…Ah! You…we’ve heard of you,” Sandiramon said. “Ssssssorry…We were vissssited frequently by banditssssss in the recent past…We jussssst thought…”

“You didn’t think, dear Sandiramon. You jumped to conclusions, as you usually do,” a woman’s voice said. A tall woman with long silver hair walked from behind me and over to the large snake.

“Mira…”

“Shh, don’t talk; you need your rest,” the woman said gently, placing her hand on the side of Sandiramon’s face. “Warriors of Lachesis, I ask that you forgive the hasty actions of our Digimon partners. I am Mira, a knight of Elphierr Territory. Please, believe me when I say that my dear Sandiramon is much more mild mannered than you may have seen today.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” I said. “I apologize for Kentaurosmon barging in unannounced, but his own partner is suffering from heatstroke, and we need to find a healer as soon as we can.”

“Oh, the poor thing; I understand,” Mira said. “Come; we’ll bring her inside. Castle Elphierr treats many people with the same ailment. I assure you she will be fine in no time.”

Silvanna​

Upon Lucia’s departure, my home seemed even quieter than it normally did. Rather than my usual training, I took the afternoon off to think about the things she and her group had told me. I had read of IceDevimon many times in my time, along with many other demons, in my parent’s expansive library. To think that somebody with such horrifying power was truly walking the earth…

“Silvanna…” I looked out my window, and saw the blue sky of day turn pure white. Excited, I ran outside and saw the massive silver wings of my partner Digimon. “Silvanna…are you home?”

“Valdurmon!” The immense Holy Bird alighted to the ground before me in all her radiant glory. “Valdurmon, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“You know me; I’m a guardian of the sky. I can sense when evil stirs the very air,” Valdurmon said. “I didn’t need to be nearby when Lucia and the others arrived. I know…that evil is approaching…” Valdurmon’s eyes were the saddest that I had ever seen them. The large Digimon completely dwarfed me and my house; even her feathers were close to the size of a mountain. “If you like, I could take you far away from this place…”

“Not going to happen, Valdurmon. I’m not going to turn tail and run away while Lucia, of all people, stands her ground and keeps fighting,” I said. “That girl…she’s always been so pushy. To think, she was next in line to become master of that guild before Flamedramon returned…Or so she claimed in all her letters to me, at least.”

“Silvanna, you know I love to reminisce as much as you do, but…”

“Is there a problem, Valdurmon?” I asked.

“The reason I came to you…my warning to you…You must heed it very soon,” Valdurmon said cryptically. “You were told that IceDevimon is going after the gemstones; this is true, in a sense. But it is much more than him; he has sent many armies to retrieve them.”

“Valdurmon, what are you trying to tell me?” Valdurmon opened her beak to reply, but as soon as she did, a burst of flames erupted from beyond a near hill; what looked like a wave of magma spilled over the edge of it, along with an explosion of flames in the sky.

“Those armies; they’re on their way here at this moment,” Valdurmon said. My heart sank. I looked closer, and saw that the wave of magma was just a massive hoard of Salamandermon, while in the sky, a flock of Birdramon followed along. It was indeed an army; an army of fire. All at once, Valdurmon and I had become completely surrounded, both on the ground and in the air.

“Valdurmon, what are we going to do?” I asked.

“Grab on to my leg, quick!” Valdurmon shrieked. I quickly grabbed Valdurmon’s leg, and my Digimon partner quickly and forcefully thrusted her six shining wings and shot past all of the Birdramon. The Birdramon and Salamandermon all blasted fire towards us, but even with her large size, Valdurmon was able to easily maneuver around all of the fireballs. “Aurora Undulation!” A wave of golden light extended from her wingtips, blasting away all of the Birdramon in a single strike. As Valdurmon flew past, the form of a massive Digimon emerged from the flock of Birdramon.

“A Garudamon…? That one’s huge!” I whispered to myself. “And it has brown feathers, too; this isn’t an ordinary Digimon…”

“The Red Gemstone…hand it over!” the Garudamon roared. “I know you have it, Silvanna!”

“…Come over here and get it, big guy!” I screamed back. “Do your worst!”

“I fully intend to! Wing Blade!”

“Hang on tight, Silvanna! Purge Shine!”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 203 - The Girl with Amber Hair

Flamedramon​

“…Mmm …? Oh…where…am I?” Tamiko asked.

“My lady! Are you feeling okay? Are you unharmed?” Kentaurosmon asked hurriedly. “Have you recovered?”

“Y-Yes…? But whatever happened?”

“You passed out; heatstroke, apparently,” I said. “We’ve made it to Elphierr Castle. You’re in their infirmary right now. We’re waiting for an audience with the queen and princess.”

“You don’t have much longer to wait, dear; my brother, Arkis, is speaking with them now about your arrival,” Mira said.

“…Speaking? You mean, done speaking with, little sister,” a new voice said. I turned around, and saw that another man had entered the room, along with another Digimon standing behind him. “Mira, Queen Nagimon is coming over here to visit the bedridden visitor. And you, Flamedramon…”

“Yes…? Do you have something to say?” I asked.

“Don’t get so fresh with my little sister!” the man hissed.

“W-What?! What the hell are you talking about?!” I asked.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Arkis; Mr. Flamedramon isn’t doing anything like that,” Mira said in a calm and cheerful voice. “Besides, he has a wife and son! He’s not chatting me up!”

“…I see. Then, you!” Arkis turned his head and glared at Matthew. “You’d better not get any ideas!”

“N-No sir! My heart belongs to another,” Matthew said nervously.

“Arkis, stop it; nobody here was trying to flirt with me!” Mira exclaimed.

“And I fully intend to keep it that way!” Arkis snapped. Around us, a breeze began to pick up as though we were outdoors.

Did we leave a window open? No, wait — this guy, he’s a wind mage! He’s powerful, too; I can sense it…

“Arkis, calm yourself!” the Digimon standing behind the wind mage barked. “We shall not be seen as antagonistic towards ambassadors of this guild!”

“Y-Yes sir…Sorry, sir,” Arkis whispered.

“…What is your name?” I asked. “You look…kinda like me…”

“My name is Magnamon,” the Digimon said. “The reason I look similar to you is because we are both Armor Digivolutions of the same Digimon.”

“I see…”

“Now, you must calm yourself, Knight Errant Arkis; her majesty Queen Nagimon is on her way to this infirmary. You mustn’t make a scene of yourself, you fool,” Magnamon said. “Always remember, you are a noble knight of Elphierr Territory. Do not disrespect your title!”

“Yes, understood,” Arkis said casually, not even looking Magnamon in the eyes as he spoke.

“If I may ask…what is Queen Nagimon like?” Tamiko whispered in a tired voice. “Is she…a good queen…? I’ve never known…a kind ruler…”

“You must be kidding! Where have you been all of your life?!” Arkis exclaimed.

“Please, excuse her; Tamiko is a princess from the kingdom of Cyllene far to the east,” Kentaurosmon. “Her father and aunt were both cruel to her and her brother; she is still a bit inexperienced in the ways of this continent, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, you poor thing; well, you don’t need to worry. Nagimon is a kind and loving queen; she cares about all of her knights and her subjects as though they were her own children,” Mira said. “Even the princess gets the same treatment; Princess Nora was adopted from a distant relative after both of their families were killed by bandits.”

“Hm…both the princess and the queen had their families wiped out? That’s just sick,” I said. “You wipe out bandits by the army, but still, they just keep coming and coming back…”

“It is one of the few sad truths of this world; a dissident’s creed will enable them survival,” Magnamon sighed.

“Magnamon, dear, I do wish you’d relinquish that grim outlook on life,” a gentle voice said. A female, serpentine Digimon slithered into the room, followed by a small young girl. The Digimon had the upper body of a beautiful woman, but from her waist down, she had the coiling body of a black snake.

“Oh! Queen Nagimon!” Magnamon immediately bowed to the Digimon without hesitation. “How fare you on this day, my queen?”

“Magnamon…I wish you wouldn’t change the subject whenever you feel uncomfortable. You mustn’t be so dire all the time,” Nagimon said. “Isn’t that right, Nora, dear?”

“U-Um…sure,” the small girl whispered. The girl wore a simple white minidress, and had long, golden-amber hair and deep blue eyes. From her manner of speech, she seemed rather shy.

“Now…you are from the mercenary guild Lachesis, are you not?” Nagimon asked, looking directly my way. “Aren’t you their leader, Flamedramon? Oh, our roles are similar! How pleasant!”

“Yes, milady—”

“Oh! There truly is someone in the infirmary!” Nagimon gasped, pushing past me and heading straight for Tamiko. “You poor dear; suffering so much in all this heat…”

“T-Thank you milady, but, I…I’m starting to feel better,” Tamiko said shyly.

“Lotus Elixir.” Nagimon placed her hand over Tamiko’s forehead and a pale magenta light appeared around them both. “Here you go, sweet child. Feel ill no longer, my dear…”

“…Oh! My fever’s vanishing…How did you do this, my lady?” Tamiko asked.

“I’m a healer too, my dear; my Lotus Elixir can heal any illness or injury of whomever I come into contact with,” Nagimon said.

“All healers here revere our queen as a healing goddess; they all strive to emulate her in the healing arts,” Magnamon added.

“…I’m no goddess. I’m just a queen and a mother,” Nagimon sighed. “All of my subjects are like children to me. Whenever my precious babies are harmed, I simply have to act; I cannot rest until I know they’re feeling better.”

Wow…she really is a good queen. Seems that Magnamon wasn’t just fawning over her. I guess I was the lucky one after all, coming here. I’d hate to have gotten stuck going all the way to ice-cold Valneva…No, having to speak to Omnimon would be a major pain as well, I guess, even if we can count on him as an ally.

“Oh…I’m sorry, Flamedramon. I didn’t mean to suddenly ignore you!” Nagimon exclaimed. “Now, why is it that your guild decided to grace us with your presence?”

“Right…Have you heard of IceDevimon before?” I asked. Immediately, Nagimon’s smile faded; her serpentine body twitched slightly at the tail, and she placed an arm around Nora’s tiny shoulders protectively. Around us, Mira, Arkis, and Magnamon had all fallen silent, and were instantly ordered out of the room by their queen.

“…Yes, I have,” Nagimon whispered. “And I met him once.”

“Y-You…you met with that evil bastard?!” I gasped. “How did you survive?! Did…he even notice you…?”

“…It was a few weeks ago. He came to visit me…No, it would be more accurate to say that he came to visit little Nora here,” Nagimon whispered. “…He knew you would all split up and visit the royals of Celicia to locate the gemstones. I just didn’t think you’d visit so soon for that very reason…”

“Why was IceDevimon visiting the princess? He didn’t threaten her, did he?!” I asked.

“No. Quite the opposite,” Nagimon said. “…He invited her back into his army.”

“…He…WHAT?!”

“M-Mother…perhaps I should be the one to tell them this story,” Nora said quietly. “I-I…Well…”

“Are you sure you can do this? You’re so shy around strangers,” Nagimon whispered.

“No…It should be me,” Nora said. “I…used to be a servant of IceDevimon. Not directly, but…Well, I guess a servant of a servant of IceDevimon…? S-Something like that, I think…”

“Your master; what was their name?” I asked.

“I-I…actually don’t know my master’s name; only her army,” Nora said quietly. “The Exquisite Army. That army searches in vain for their lady’s jewel; that one rose-colored stone holds their master’s soul within.”

“The jewels…they hold the souls of IceDevimon’s servants?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes. There are fourteen of them total; thus, fourteen powerful Digimon, and fourteen powerful armies that serve them. IceDevimon sought me out because he knew that they would be revived soon, which will happen when the jewels are gathered in the same place by one who’s heart is pure malice.”

“Hmm…It sounds like it would be best to keep them all separated,” I said.

“Maybe, but fate has a way of moving back to its original course, live a river,” Nora said. “It would be best to have them destroyed, but that would prove as difficult as destroying the Digimon that lurks within. It may prove better to gather them ourselves and protect them as one rather than divide them and our strength.”

“I suppose…”

“…Regardless, IceDevimon didn’t get what he came here for. Not my loyalty…and not the gemstone I safeguard.” Nora reached into her satchel and pulled out a brilliantly shining yellow gem. “This yellow jewel…it is being hunted for by the Thunder Army. Fortunately, their whereabouts are currently unknown. I was lucky enough to have found this gem in the Savage Prairie, not long before Lady Nagimon adopted me…”

“Right, I’ve been meaning to ask…Lady Nagimon, why—?”

“Why did I adopt one of IceDevimon’s servants? Well, I’ll try to shorten it as much as I can,” Nagimon said, interrupting me. “This is not something that any of our knights know about; I simply told them that Nora is a relative of mine and that her family was killed by bandits. But the truth is, as a part of the Exquisite Army, Nora was tasked with killing the nobles of Elphierr Territory and finding their jewel. And…that’s just what she did. She…killed all of my family. All by herself. My husband, and my two sons. That was five years ago.”

“No…After all that…she became a part of your family?!” I exclaimed. Man, royals sure are weird…

“I could tell right away that she wasn’t evil,” Nagimon whispered gently, running her hands through Nora’s amber hair. “She has a heart filled with purity and innocence. I asked her why she did…what she did. She said it so simply, so sweetly…”

“…I was told they were evil,” Nora said quietly, looking down and away from everyone in the room.

“It’s more than that, dear. Her soul, her very life, was manipulated by those fiends in her army. Her sense of right and wrong was so twisted that she didn’t know which was which any longer. She only wanted to do good with her life, and that’s what she thought she always did while she was with them. I couldn’t help but forgive her. She’s never known what it’s like a family herself, so I gave her one.”

“I’ll never be able to fully forgive myself for what I did on that day…”

…This is the evil of IceDevimon. This is his evil…and we cannot allow it to spread, no matter the cost. “My lady Nagimon; if it would please you, then my comrades and I will stay here and help you to safeguard that gemstone from the forces of IceDevimon.”

“I had a feeling you were going to ask that; and I accept your offer. Since it’s IceDevimon we’re talking about, my own forces will need all the help they can get, no matter how strong they are,” Nagimon said. “Flamedramon, I thank you for aid, and I look forward to working with you further.”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 204 - Legions of Ice

Loralyn Syra’an

Lachesis​

The guild always seemed quiet and empty when the main forces left on large missions such as these. Right now, Heather, Madelyn, Alphonse, and Wisemon all sat around the lounge with me, all of our thoughts undoubtedly on the same subject. I glanced at Heather and Madelyn, who sat huddled together on a sofa across from a soft chair I sat in. Heather seemed quite calm and confident, but Madelyn looked uncertain as she nestled closer to her mother; Lloyd was her father, after all, and they haven’t reunited for very long, and after the life Madelyn lived in Cyllene, I knew she couldn’t help but fear the worst.

“…I wonder how Mia’s doing,” Alphonse sighed.

“That’s the third time you’ve asked that since lunch, dear,” Heather giggled. “I’m sure she’s doing just fine; her group was heading to Cherifia, the kingdom of steel, remember? They’re the most laid-back kingdom of the lot, so I’m certain she’s in no real danger.”

“Yeah, I know…I just wish I could’ve gone with her,” Alphonse replied.

“It would do us no good to divvy up our fighting force any further than we already have. You and Heather are the only fighters here,” Wisemon said. “I doubt anything will happen, but it still puts me on edge to have this small a defense remaining at our base.”

“Well, it’s like you said, wise-guy; you don’t think anything’s going to happen,” Alphonse said.

“Hmph. Fair enough; I haven’t received any foreboding premonitions for this day,” Wisemon said testily. “For now, I’ll take that as a good sign, but the future is constantly changing, so we should still be careful.”

“Forget about the future! I say we should just worry about now! Worrying about the future can come after we’ve made sure there is one!” Alphonse retorted.

“While there is some logic in your words, saying such things has a tendency to move destiny down its undesired path—”

“Oh, enough about your talk of history and destiny! That’s all you ever talk about!” Alphonse snapped. I sighed, and looked down at the floor, at my feet planted firmly on the cool stone floor; much colder, really, than it normally felt. Heather simply laughed quietly at the ongoing bickering between Alphonse and Wisemon, which had been going on since most of the others had left. I sighed once again, and nearly gasped when I saw my white breath escape past my lips.

Why is it so…cold in here?! Suddenly, I rose to my feet, and glared all around the room.

“Loralyn? Is something wrong, dear?” Heather asked.

“…Both of you, shut the fuck up right now!” I screamed at Alphonse and Wisemon, taking them both by surprise.

“Loralyn, what’s wrong?” Heather whispered.

“We…have visitors,” I replied. “And it isn’t our friends. Can’t you sense it? Can’t you feel how cold it is right now?”

“…Now that you mention it…It is the middle of the afternoon, and it’s still quite chilly,” Wisemon noted. “Loralyn…I can see your breath!”

“I know…They’ve come back,” I said to myself. “…The ones who chased me to this fortress on that day…”

“You were chased? I thought you were simply banished from Lotisea,” Alphonse said.

“No…on my way, I was found and attacked. That was one day before Dominimon and Edmund found me,” I said.

“Well, who found and attacked you? Are they the source of this sudden drop in temperature?” Wisemon asked. As soon as he asked, a field of ice raced across the ground and covered it completely before moving up the walls.

“This…is it. They’ve all found me again,” I whispered.

“Alphonse! With me!” Heather ordered. “Wisemon, keep Madelyn safe!”

“Understood,” the Digimon nodded.

“And you, Loralyn…stay close to me. Tell me whatever you know about these guys,” Heather said, gently grabbing onto my wrist and pulling me closer to her. I nodded and smiled at the older woman, and followed her and Alphonse out of the fortress and into an army of Frigimon.

“…Yeah…it’s them,” I whispered. “I can’t believe they found me; it’s been almost a year…”

“These…? These are the ones who chased you?” Heather asked. “But they’re so cute!”

“Careful, lovely; Frigimon are strong in the cold, and they’re making it colder,” Alphonse replied. The Summoner removed his coat and tossed it over at me, which I gladly put on myself as the air became colder and colder. “I’ll blast ‘em all to snowflakes! Come forth, Tankmon!”

“Oh yeah! Line them all up, and I’ll knock them down in one attack!” the Android Digimon exclaimed the moment he appeared. “Machine Gun Arm!”

“Pathetic.” Only one of the Frigimon, the largest of the pack, stepped forward and held out his large hands. Instantly, Tankmon froze over completely and shattered to pieces. “Princess Loralyn Syra’an…It certainly has been a while.”

“Yes, almost an entire year since the day you found me,” I replied coolly. “And, almost an entire year since the day you lost me.”

“Don’t you dare tempt me, you little bitch,” the Frigimon hissed. “I’ve been ordered to keep you alive until we get what we want from you. And if you don’t put up much of a fuss, we’ll even let you live.”

“…I always knew you would come back for me one day,” I sighed. “You’ve come for my jewel, haven’t you…”

“What?! Loralyn, you have a jewel?!” Alphonse exclaimed.

“I was going to tell you all later. You know…in all honesty, I don’t expect anyone will have very much luck finding these gemstones. I was going to save mine as a surprise when they all returned,” I said, almost laughing at my foolish notions. “These Frigimon…they’re a small portion of an army whose master seeks my gemstone. They found me as soon as I was exiled from Lotisea, but I was able to lose them in the Cursed Woods.”

“And that won’t happen again!” Frigimon snapped. “Now, hand it over!”

“…Never. I will never surrender the Royal Jewel of Lotisea to an army of evil! Especially now that I know all the evil that this jewel contains!” I exclaimed.

“So…It seems that you’ve decided to die,” Frigimon sighed. The Icy Digimon raised an arm, and a hoard of Ikkakumon rose up from snowy ground underneath each of the Frigimon. “Everyone: CHARGE!”

“Come forth, Togemon!” Alphonse held out another talisman, calling up a new Digimon. “Quick! Take them out before they can attack!”

“You got it! Needle Spray!”

“Ikkakumon steeds and Frigimon subordinates! Fire at will!” the large Frigimon ordered. “Subzero Ice Punch!”

“Harpoon Torpedo!” The Frigimon and Ikkakumon fired their attacks before Togemon was able to, and instantly obliterated the Spirit.

“Damn it; they’re defeating Spirits left and right!” Alphonse exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, Loralyn; I’ll protect you!” Heather said. I looked up at the taller blonde. “What’s wrong, dear?”

“I…I kept something from you,” I whispered. “I—”

“Don’t worry about that, dear; you did that with good intentions,” Heather said gently. “Now, stick close. And you, Alphonse; do any of your Spirits use fire attacks?”

“Right; got it covered! Come forth, Cerberusmon!” Alphonse held out his Talisman, but the Digimon he summoned didn’t appear as it normally did.

…What’s going on? Did the Frigimon do something to stop him? I thought. No, they look worried and confused as well…

“Patience, lovely,” Alphonse whispered. The summoner held out his hand, and gasped when I saw that it was empty. “There’s more than one was to call up a Digimon Spirit, you know.” Alphonse snapped his fingers, and like that, the Dark Animal materialized behind the Ikkakumon and Frigimon.

“Emerald Blaze!” Cerberusmon opened his mouth and spewed an endless amount of deep green flames at our enemies. Many of the Frigimon and Ikkakumon were instantly obliterated the moment they were attacked, though to my dismay, the biggest leader managed to survive by abandoning his Ikkakumon steed. The ones that did escape fell into holes crafted by Cerberumon’s Portals of Darkness attack, but again, a few managed to escape, including their leader. Cerberusmon readied another Emerald Blaze attack, but like Togemon and Tankmon before him, he became covered in ice, and was instantly destroyed.

“What?! How did they get Cerberusmon too?!” Alphonse exclaimed.

“That is enough, Frigimon troops,” a large voice bellowed. Immediately, the remaining Frigimon and Ikkakumon stepped back and bowed down to make way for another. The ice-and-snow-covered ground trembled along the footsteps of an approaching giant. “Chief Frigimon…you dare to allow such weaklings get the best of you?!” A massive Digimon ripped through the trees at his soldiers’ backs, flexing his four thick arms while showing off the weapons in each hand, two axes and two hammers.

“…Colonel GlacierKorikkakumon,” the lead Frigimon whispered in a reverent tone of voice.

“Answer my question, Frigimon,” GlacierKorikkakumon said.

“I…I—!”

“SILENCE! Tundra Arrow!” GlacierKorikkakumon slammed his two hammers together, forming a spark that turned to ice and extended into a massive arrow that tore through the lead Frigimon’s chest and immediately killed the Digimon. The few remaining Frigimon and Ikkakumon all looked on in horror as their leader fell and vanished. “Loralyn. I’ll be taking your jewel now. Or…do you need another demonstration of my power?!”

“You stay away from her!” Heather snapped.

“Come forth, MetalSeadramon! Gaiomon!” Alphonse held out two more Digimon Talismans, but before he could summon his Spirits, GlacierKorikkakumon slammed his large foot on the ground, making Alphonse fall to his knees. Alphonse tried to rise back up, but GlacierKorikkakumon lowered one of his axes to the back of the summoner’s neck just close enough to keep him from moving.

“Yes…this ought to do quite nicely,” GlacierKorikkakumon murmured. “Loralyn. The jewel…or the life of your comrade. Which do you wish to keep? The stone…or the head?”

“No…”

“Oh, yes. In the name of my General, the Frost Monarch, I shall take your gem; your happiness; the lives of your friends!” GlacierKorikkakumon bellowed. “I’ll give you one minute to decide. Not much of a decision though; give it to me, and I’ll spare all your lives. Refuse…and I’ll kill your friend, and then take your jewel anyway.”

“No…don’t give it to them!” Alphonse shouted. “If they get it…well, I don’t know what will happen, but it can’t be anything good! Just run!”

“Run all you like, little bard! You cannot escape your destiny to rest in an eternal frozen slumber!” GlacierKorikkakumon said.

“LORALYN! RUN!”

“…No. No, I won’t run,” I whispered. “I…surrender. Here…this is what you sought. The jewel for the Tundra Army…”

“How kind of you, my dear. Here…the center of my palm, if you please.” GlacierKorikkakumon dropped one of his hammers to the ground with a mighty thud that cracked the ice beneath, and held out a hand almost large enough to contain my entire body. Slowly, I reached into my purse and pulled out the turquoise gemstone, and placed it into the monstrous Digimon’s hand. “Very good…this is indeed our master’s jewel. Now…say goodbye to your friend! Plasma Double Tomahawk!”

“NOOO! DON’T DO IT!!!” The axe above Alphonse’s head pulsed with electricity. Alphonse flinched when a single jolt touched the back of his neck, but he remained otherwise very still and composed. GlacierKorikkakumon raised the axe, and then swiftly lowered it. Alphonse took a deep breath in and sighed, muttering something under his breath. “ALPHONSE!!!”

“Flash Bancho Punch!”

“Ulforce Saber!” The forms of two massive Digimon flew past me overhead and collided directly into GlacierKorikkakumon, knocking the massive Beast Digimon over.

“It’s been a while, Alphonse…how have you been?” A small Digimon fluttered over next to the Summoner, helping him to stand.

“M-Marissa! I mean, BioNymphmon!” Alphonse exclaimed.

He’s…been saved…Oh, thank the Goddess…I don’t want any more blood on my hands than there already is…Oh, Alphonse…

“It seems we arrived here just in time,” another voice said. Augustus Maxwell stepped beside me and Heather, with Karatenmon standing on the other side. “You look a little confused; our guild of redemption has a few more additions. Meet BanchoLeomon, one of Zelda’s old Spirits, and UlforceVeedramon, a knight of Cyllene, like myself.”

“You guys certainly like showing up at the last second,” Alphonse said, joining us. “But, you, BanchoLeomon; what do you have to redeem? You were one of Zelda’s spirits; you helped her defeat Darkdramon, remember?”

“And that is precisely why I seek redemption. He was a close friend of mine, in the past,” BanchoLeomon said. “I…dealt the killing blow to him. I can only hope that his soul can achieve peace in the afterlife, but until then, I can only walk down this solitary path.”

“This is the only path for deserters,” UlforceVeedramon added. “We who broke our oaths of loyalty can only seek to atone for our misguided pasts. Hmph…and just imagine, my old superior August being one of them…once again, my superior.”

“No. There are no superiors in this guild of sorts that I have constructed,” Augustus said. “We fight together as one to vanquish the darkness! Come forth, BlackWarGreymon! Beelzemon! Premenitmon!”

“Let’s do this! Come forth, MetalSeadramon! Gaiomon!” Five Digimon Spirits materialized before us all, standing alongside UlforceVeedramon, BanchoLeomon, Karatenmon, and BioNymphmon. The nine Digimon stared down GlacierKorikkakumon and the remaining Frigimon and Ikkakumon.

“Everyone, charge!” Augustus bellowed.

“Terra Destroyer!”

“Double Impact!”

“Golden Ankh!”

“River of Power!”

“Gaia Reactor!”

“The Ray of Victory!”

“Flash Bancho Punch!”

“Feather Flare!”

“Lunar Blast!” The attacks of the nine Digimon all reached GlacierKorikkakumon at the same time, but at once, they all came to a halt.

“…What happened? Did they cancel each other out?” I asked.

“No…He’s doing something,” Augustus whispered. “Look!” I gazed at the massive Digimon, and gasped when I saw his four arms held out in front of him. Hovering in the air between his hands was the gemstone I had given him.

“Oh no…”

“Hmph. If you had known how to tap into the dark power of this jewel, it could’ve been a formidable weapon for you, Loralyn,” GlacierKorikkakumon said. “Fortunately for us…you’re too pure to do something like that.” GlacierKorikkakumon slammed his four hands together on the jewel; the attacks of the Digimon that he had halted froze over, and shattered. I looked down, and saw that my feet began to ice over. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw that Heather, Alphonse, and Augustus had completely frozen over. The five Digimon Spirits vanished immediately, and the remaining Digimon were also encased in ice. Only I remained.

“No…w-what…happened?” I asked. The ice stopped climbing one rising halfway up my belly, leaving me completely immobilized. My entire body quaked from the cold, but there wasn’t much I could do.

“…Our work here is done,” GlacierKorikkakumon said. “And you, Loralyn…thanks for all your help. Really couldn’t have done all this if you didn’t hand me my master’s jewel. As my thanks…I will keep my word and spare you and your friends, at least on this day. Until we meet again in battle, my dear…”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 205 - Lost in the Ice and Darkness

Eleanora Kasuto​

Even through my boots, the slush and ice that covered the ground of the entire Valneva Territory had my feet completely numb to the point where I couldn’t even move my toes. I looked ahead of me at Abigail, who seemed to be completely unaffected by the subzero temperatures, despite being almost as inappropriately dressed for the cold as I was. At my side, AeroVeedramon trudged through the snow on all fours with Bokomon, Neemon, and Lunamon riding on his back.

“How much longer until we arrive at the castle?” AeroVeedramon asked. “I’ve missed, like, five naps since waking up this morning…”

“We’re almost there, dear,” Abigail said in a gentle voice. “We’re definitely going north. Do you see the blizzard up ahead? Once we enter that, we’ll be only a few minutes from Valneva Castle.”

Oh, great; it’s going to get even colder than it already is! I should’ve known better than to dress so lightly in this damn tundra…

“Ellie, dear, are you okay?” Abigail asked. “You can stand closer to me if you’re starting to feel cold.”

“I wish you told me that sooner,” I said through clattering teeth, instantly stepping closer to the Bio Hybrid. Immediately, she pulled me closer to her body, and I was quickly warmed as she placed her arms around my shoulders, and wrapped me around her cape. “I can understand why the Digimon are fine, but why aren’t you cold?”

“It’s probably because I’m a Bio Hybrid,” Abigail said plainly.

“But I—” I bit my tongue to keep from talking. No. I can’t let them know yet. I can’t tell them that I’m a Bio Hybrid Yukinamon; the power to slay IceDevimon in secret. And I will fulfil my promise to her; she gave me her power, it’s the least I could do for her…

“…Yes? You were saying?” Abigail asked.

“U-Um…Nothing. Never mind.” I slipped my arm around Abigail’s waist to better feel the warmth of her body. As we came closer and closer to the raging blizzard, its roar became deafening, and its chill utterly numbing.

“Stay close, AeroVeedramon; if we get lost, it could be forever,” Abigail said to the mighty dragon.

“Yeah…so long as I don’t fall asleep, I’ll be fine,” AeroVeedramon yawned. I could almost hear Lunamon and Bokomon groan over the howling wind.

“…It’s no use. Even with your body heat, Abigail, it’s still incredibly cold!” I breathed in deeply, and sighed, watching my breath escape past my near-blue lips. “My legs are trembling…”

“…Ellie…I think there’s another reason for that,” Abigail whispered. “The entire ground is shaking…”

“Ah, jeez, what now?” AeroVeedramon sighed. “My nose is picking up one nasty-ass stench…” A loud whistling echoed in the air, and a massive explosion shook the ground more violently than ever, nearly knocking the three Rookie Digimon off of AeroVeedramon’s back. “Fuck; it smells like a Mammothmon. This isn’t good…” The ground began to shake more and more violently, and the form of a massive Digimon began to take shape in the blizzard; as AeroVeedramon suspected, it was indeed a very large, white-haired Mammothmon.

“…What we gots here, eh?” A deep voice asked.

“Was that…the Mammothmon?” I asked.

“What? I’s be lookin’ likes a Mammothmons to you’s?” the voice asked again. The Mammothmon lowered its head, and I could at once the form of a large man jumping down. “I aint’s a no Mammothmons. I’s be called Vandrik! I ain’t no Digimon’s!” The man lumbered towards us; in the winds of the blizzard, he almost looked like a small Vikemon.

“Who are you?” Abigail asked.

“What, you’s being deaf? I just tell’d you, my names be Vandrik!” the man shouted. “…Oh, that’s not what you’s meaning, huh? You wanna know what I do’s, huh?”

“Y-Yes. Exactly…”

“Ah, I gets it now! Well, I’s bein’ a knights of—”

“You don’t need to know who we are!” Mammothmon bellowed. “Sometimes, it is better to keep the enemy in the darkness of the unknown!”

“Too late; I already heard what he said!” I retorted. “You’re knights of Valneva, aren’t you? In that case, we’ve been looking for you!”

“Ah! We don’ts be go talkin’ to bandits!” Vandrik yelled.

“What?! No, we’re not bandits!” I exclaimed. “We’re from—”

“You’re from Thanatos, aren’t you?! Confess, sinners!” Mammothmon shouted.

“No! We’re mercenaries from Lachesis!” Abigail said.

“Aye, it be’s just like a bandits to claim to being from a mercenary guilds,” Vandrik said. “Mammothmon, you’s be getting them now!”

“Right! Freezing Breath!”

“V-Breath Arrow!” A thin arrow of flames collided with Mammothmon’s attack, burning it into a thick steam. AeroVeedramon stepped forward, shaking the three Rookie Digimon off of his back. “Damn it all…I’m sick of nobody believing me. People think I’m weak ‘cause I sleep all damn day. You guys all think we’re bandits ‘cause you’ve never seen us before in your miserable lives. Well, I’m not going to just sit here and get lectured by some grammatically-challenged troglodyte! V-Wing Blade!”

“Tusk Crusher!” Once more, the attacks of AeroVeedramon and Mammothmon collided and created a massive explosion in the air, sending ice and flames flying in every direction.

“Magnum Crusher!” AeroVeedramon flew through the steam and slammed his claws onto Mammothmon’s face, sending the Ancient Beast toppling over to the ground. “That…is real strength. Fighting for what you believe in; not against some nameless evil you aren’t even certain that exists!”

“What’s is this?! You’s defeated Mammothmons?!” Vandrik exclaimed. “…Fine, then! You’s and me’s are going at it then, nows!”

“…No…I…I order you to…stand down, Vandrik…” It was a small voice that spoke over the roar of the blizzard, but I could hear it clearly; a young woman, an owner of a shy and dainty voice. A Garurumon trudged through the snow next to Mammothmon, carrying a Human, the one who spoke to Vandrik, on his back.

“Ah, you’s be coming at a good times, wee ones!” Vandrik said. “You’s ready to die, banditses?!” The Garurumon lowered himself to the icy ground, and the woman on his back slid off gently.

“…You…are the ones that Vandrik and Mammothmon were…f-fighting with?” she asked.

“Who are you? Are you a knight, too?” I asked.

“……I am…Ilora…a mage……I was….trained by the best…..”

“You’s in troubles now, banditses!” Vandrik said. “The wee ones here be the best mages you’s ever sees!”

“Y-Yes…I…” Ilora brought her hands to her chest, and lowered her face to conceal her blushing cheeks. “I-I…I won’t…let you leave this place…not alive…if you plan on terrorizing our land any further…”

“Listen to me! We aren’t bandits! We’re—!”

“Ah, don’t listen to thems, wee ones,” Vandrik said. “They be’s bandits too, yeah? Let’s gut them’s like pigses!”

“N-No…I…don’t want to see any blood,” Ilora whispered. “Let’s…do this my way…okay?”

“Fine…Just makes it quicks, you’s got it?”

“Hmph; don’t we get any say in this?” Abigail asked. And that was the last thing before her entire body froze completely over. I instinctively reached for my sword, but when Ilora raised her arm in the air, the same fate befell me.

~~~

Slowly , my eyes opened, and I looked around. Directly in front of me was a row of thick iron bars; a prison cell. I sighed, and looked at my friends. All of them were alive and breathing, but remained unconscious. I rose to my feet, and was shocked to see that I wasn’t wearing handcuffs, or any kind of chains, but more surprised that the ground beneath my feet was actually quite warm and cozy.

“No wonder everyone else is still asleep,” I whispered. Indeed, even the air was quite warm; not hot, not cold, but right in the middle, even though it seemed that the grey walls were covered in ice. “Curiouser and curiouser…”

“Whoa…someone else here?” another voice, this one belonging to a woman, asked, the suddenness of which nearly made me jump out of my skin. I looked to the far corner of the cell, and saw the form of another person.

“…Who’s there?” I asked. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Think that’s my line. But, now that I see you…Ooh, I’m liking what I do see. Been a while, El. Like what you did with the shirt — taking it off, and all. Niiiiice; curves like those should be shown for the whole world to admire.” The woman stepped out of the shadows; my mouth hung agape, and I glared at who approached me. “I was never that lucky; never had curves, breasts never grew much. You got it good, El; the perfect package of beauty and sexy.”

“LIRA!”

Lan Fan

Shendu Territory​

Less than twenty minutes have passed since the departure of Lucia and the other members of Lachesis. In that time, I had hung on tightly to my father’s arm after dozing off. My father reached over and gently stroked my hair every now and then. He was always like that; stern and almost coldhearted at one moment, and calm and loving the next. A few might be confused by my constant attachment to such a man, even if that man was my father; but, it was because he was my father that I couldn’t help but forgive and continue to love him. After my mother died, we were all each other had…

“YOUR MAJESTY! EMPEROR TSO LAN!” One of my father’s knights, a young man named Tristan, rushed into the throne room with a severely troubled look on his face.

“What is the problem, Sergeant?” my father asked, instantly alerted.

“We’re being invaded! There’s an army of—!” Before Tristan could finish, a massive claw swung through the air and raked the knight’s head cleanly off. I gasped and grabbed on to my father’s arm as a large MetalGarurumon walked into the room.

“The Lunar Prince, Emperor Tso Lan; you are hereby decreed by the Eclipse Army to relinquish the Royal Gemstone of Shendu Territory,” the MetalGarurumon growled.

“Well, get in line; you aren’t the first to ask for that, even today!” Tso Lan barked. “Now, leave before my own army dispatches yours!”

“I wouldn’t worry about them if I were you; you have only yourself and your precious daughter to worry about!” another MetalGarurumon walked into the room behind the first, and was followed by several others. “We even made sure not to kill a single one of them. Dead hostages have no value, neither to the enemy, or their king!”

“If you’ve taken no further lives, then I advise you all to leave now; you are guilty only for intruding upon the emperor’s throne room and the death of a single knight. If you go now, then we won’t pursue you!”

“You are in no position to be making threats, Emperor; see that red dot on your little girl’s chest?” My heart immediately quickened as I looked down and saw a red laser pointed directly at my heart. “If you don’t want the princess blown to pieces, then don’t provoke our sniper. We MetalGarurumon are better snipers than you Humans give us credit for!” Tso Lan placed a firm hand over my shoulder, “The choice is yours. The gem…or your lives. Choose wisely, Emperor.”

“…F-Father…” My stomach was in knots, and my mouth went dry; I knew my father would never give away the gem under any circumstance, even at the cost of his daughter.

“N-No…I…”

“You have ten seconds to decide. Otherwise, we will kill you all and take the gem by force!”

“O-Okay! Fine, it’s yours…Just spare my daughter, please…” A single tear fell down the side of my father’s face as he reached into a secret compartment in the side of the throne, and retrieved the grey-colored jewel.

Is that tear for me, or the jewel? I couldn’t help but wonder as he held out the jewel. The MetalGarurumon stepped forward, and briefly gave the gem a sniff.

“…You…dare to deceive us by handing us a fake!? That pitiful stone doesn’t hold the essence of our master!” the MetalGarurumon roared.

“I—I don’t understand! That stone…How is that not the real one?!” Tso Lan asked. “S-Surely you jest…This is the real gemstone!”

“You lost your daughter over a pathetic gamble! Now pay the price! Ice Wolf Claw!”

“NO!!! GET DOWN!” My father shoved me down to the floor just in time to protect me from the attack. I looked back at him just as it happened. Blades of ice launched by the MetalGarurumon pierced his body over and over again; eight went through his chest, and one clear through his forehead. His splattered blood hit my face the moment his lifeless body hit the floor.

“FATHER!!!!”

“You…Do you know where the real gemstone is?” MetalGarurumon asked. I remained silent, saved for the choked sobs and wailing over my father. “Fine; remain silent. Then you will join your father in death! Metal Wolf Claw!” There was a flash of pale blue, and then a flash of deep violet. The blast of ice from MetalGarurumon’s snout diverted just inches from me and my father’s body. Standing before me was a massive suit of armor. “Y-You! Colonel Generalmon!” The Digimon before me said nothing. “You’ve been revived!”

“…W-Who…are you?” I asked in between sobs.

“Hah! You’re in trouble now, princess! Generalmon is the sub-commander of the Eclipse Army, and was also a member of the Order of the Enchantress! He answers directly to our master!” MetalGarurumon exclaimed happily. “Now, hand over the—!”

“Dæmon Lux Lunae!” Generalmon held out his hand and fired a beam of radiant violet light, instantly obliterating the MetalGarurumon, along with two others behind him. The remaining Digimon stepped back in fear and alarm.

“W-What is the meaning of this, Colonel?” one of the MetalGarurumon asked.

“…So long I was bathed in darkness…So long, that I even began to forget her face…Celina,” Generalmon whispered. “Pure of heart, and noble of intentions…My descent into darkness began when I lost her, and she lost her life to the Games. It was where this city stands now…and by the decree of a handful of corrupt nobles, she was forced into that twisted arena. I swore an oath; an oath of darkness in order to attain the power to avenge her. Seven-hundred years ago, I thought I had done just that; I destroyed this entire city, and killed thousands, in but a single day. But still, I…I felt so empty.” Generalmon clenched his fist, and placed it over his chest, over his heart. “I didn’t know why…but now I do. Celina Rosalina…Deep in my subconscious, I knew she would never approved of the evil that had then filled my heart. I didn’t realize it until long after I was killed by Seraphimon…and I was reborn, back as Generalmon. And that was when I knew what I had to do.” Generalmon pointed at the number of MetalGarurumon standing before him. “I will destroy the Luna Diviner I once served! I shall protect the memory of the woman I loved!”

“TRAITOR! Metal Wolf Claw!”

“Dæmon Icircumflex!” Generalmon brandished his massive axe, deflecting the beams of ice fired by the MetalGarurumon. One by one, he swung and attacked the Android Digimon, killing them all with a single stroke of his axe until none were left.

“…G-Generalmon,” I whispered. “I…I—”

“You don’t need to say anything, my princess,” Generalmon said. The massive Digimon walked up to me and knelt down, placing a hand on top of my head. He was large, and looked intimidating, but he spoke so softly and gently. “I…apologize…not just for what I have done in the past, but…I couldn’t make it in time…to save your father…”

“…Oh, Generalmon!” I lost myself in another bout of tears and wailing, clinging onto the Digimon before me.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry,” Generalmon whispered. “But this, I do swear; I will protect you from now on. You…and your kingdom, and all you hold dear in your heart.”

Duke Tchang Zu​

“Heh …I can’t believe it was as easy as that,” I whispered, clutching the true Gemstone of Shendu Territory in my hand. My remaining stump of a right arm tingled with phantom excitement as I gazed upon the jewel.

“My Lord; do you not think that your brother will notice a difference between the real and fake jewels?” my aid and general, Dai Gui, asked.

“Nah; he may be obsessed, but he never did pay attention to the little details,” I replied. I looked up; my own castle, small, dark, and dreary, was now before us. “Let’s put this little beauty in MY throne room, where it belongs!”

“Not so fast.” My heart skipped a beat at the suddenness of the new voice. Dai Gui and I both turned around, and were faced with a large pack of MetalGarurumon.

“…C-Can I…help you?” I asked quietly.

“Hand over that gemstone,” one of the MetalGarurumon asked. “If you do not, then you shall suffer the consequences!”

“No way; I finally managed to steal — er, retrieve — this from my brother, and I’m not going to give it to a pack of crazed Digimon!” I yelled.

“Suit yourself. Ice Wolf Claw!”

“My lord; get down!” Dai Gui jumped in front of me, but by that time, I had already turned around to flee. I heard my general scream in pure agony, and when I looked over my shoulder, he was already dead on the ground.

“N-No! I can’t die! I’m supposed to be Emperor! Emperor of all Shendu Territory!” I screamed. A single MetalGarurumon leapt over me, and landed in front of me.

“Then this land has lost two Emperors on this day. Metal Wolf Claw!”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 206 - Ice Labyrinth

Eleanora Kasuto​

“LIRA!”

“Well, it certainly is an honor to hear that you haven’t forgotten my name, love!” Lira Elric practically squealed; to my amazement, not one of my friends stirred from the noise, although I expected as much at least from the lazy AeroVeedramon.

“…No. I haven’t forgotten a single thing about you, Lira Elric!” I growled. “I’ve been waiting for the next time we meet!”

“Aw, how sweet! D’you miss me?” Lira asked, inching closer and closer to me.

“I guess you could say that…HYAHHH!” Unable to restrain myself any further, I gathered all of my strength and punched Lira in the eye.

“OW! Damn it, you crazy broad, the hell was that for?!” Lira exclaimed.

“THAT…was for my brother!” I shouted. “Now, GIVE HIM BACK HIS GEMSTONE!”

“Wha—?! Oh…right, that…was a keepsake of his mum’s, wasn’t it…?” Lira’s face immediately changed from confused rage to a deeply contrite and ashamed expression. “Look…I really am sorry that I did what I did…But, listen; it wasn’t just some random thieving snatch I did, all right? It was all part of my mission.”

“What mission?! Did you come seeking us out just to make my brother miserable!?” I screamed.

“N-No, nothing like that! I just…I’m looking for gemstones,” Lira whispered. “And before you ask, no, I am NOT working for IceDevimon; I’m with, um…other people. I can’t tell you who they are yet, but—”

“Can’t say? Oh, that’s REALLY convincing!” I interrupted.

“Look, my parents put me up to this. They’re the king and queen of Nymphaea Province, and—”

“WAIT, wait, wait, WHAT?! You MUST be kidding! T-That means…”

“Oh, yeah…I’m a princess,” Lira said rather shyly. “B-But, um…”

…Her entire demeanor’s changed again. She’s so…weird…

“So…my parents set me out on this mission given by a friend of theirs to find the gemstones, and keep them safe from IceDevimon,” Lira continued. “That’s why I stole your brother’s jewel. I had to keep it safe — not to mention, Matthew. If he still had it, IceDevimon’s troops would be after him as we speak, you know.”

“I…oh…But then, why are you here in Valneva?” I asked.

“Same reason you are, doll. Looking for the Tsarista’s gem.”

“What?! You mean, she really has one?”

“Of course! All the leaders of the five territories have one. You sure picked a lousy place to come to, though. Valneva is the owner of iron-clad defenses, you know.”

“Well, I didn’t really have a choice; our guild split up to find them all, so some of us had to come here, you know!” I shouted. “A-And don’t think I’ve let you off the hook for stealing Matthew’s gem just yet! You still have a lot of explaining to do!”

“Yeah, I get it; but there’s a lot that I can’t tell you just now,” Lira sighed. “Look, I can get us all out of here; there’s a trapdoor in this room that leads deep underground — and directly to the Tsarista’s gemstone.”

“R-Really? That sounds a little too convenient,” I said. “How do you know all of this?”

“Well, how do you think? I’ve been here before,” Lira shrugged. “About six years ago, I came here to steal the gem, just like now, but I was caught and thrown into here. If I didn’t find that trapdoor all those years ago, I’d still be stuck in here, or probably executed.”

Oh, the horror, I wanted to say sarcastically, but I kept my mouth shut this time.

“Now, we just need to wait for your friends to wake up, and then we can get moving,” Lira continued. “…I’m honestly surprised all of your screaming earlier didn’t wake any of them up.”

“Hey, you were screaming too!” I snapped.

“Only after you punched me!”

“Whatever; just help me wake them up, okay?” I walked over to Lunamon and picked up the small Digimon. Gradually, Lira and I managed to wake the others, though AeroVeedramon took almost ten minutes to get so much as a response from.

“…Okay…the trapdoor you mentioned should be right around…here,” AeroVeedramon grumbled, sniffing the cold, hard ground beneath us. “…Yeah, the air’s different around here. Magnum Crusher!” Using all his might, AeroVeedramon crushed the floor with a single swipe of his claw.

“Wow…you were right,” I whispered.

“Why would I lie? I don’t want to be here, either,” Lira replied. “Okay, everyone, listen up; underneath us awaits a labyrinth made entirely of magical ice that cannot be melted or shattered. It was built by the first Tsars of Valneva to ward away thieves like me, and every few months or so, the layout changes, so I won’t be able to guide you as well as I’d like.”

“…Ellie, are you sure we can trust her?” Abigail asked as Lira began leading us through the trapdoor and down a long flight of stairs.

“I’m not. But, I don’t think we have much choice,” I said. “If we had broken our way out of the prison cell by force, all the knights of Valneva would’ve been on us in seconds. Besides, we can’t just stay there and wait for someone to come get us. IceDevimon is after these gems, and if we don’t hurry, then he’ll get this one, too.”

“I know, I know…” I knew immediately that nobody in our group really trusted Lira, except for maybe Neemon, who was always oblivious to his surroundings anyway. We walked in silence for the remainder of our walk downstairs until we reached a large field made entirely of ice.

“…This isn’t right,” I heard Lira whisper.

“What’s wrong now?” I asked.

“It isn’t supposed to be a field; there was an entire maze when I was here last,” Lira said.

“Well, perhaps that is a good thing; the less obstacles that stand in our way, the better,” Bokomon said.

“Yeah, I suppose…Well, do you see that bright orchid light in the distance? That’s Valneva’s gemstone,” Lira said.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get it!” Neemon exclaimed, hopping onto AeroVeedramon’s back.

“Wait a minute!” Lira hissed. “…Like I said, there’s supposed to be a maze here, and clearly, there isn’t. Something is definitely wrong…”

“Let’s worry about that later, dear; we need to retrieve the gem before IceDevimon does,” Abigail said.

“Very well…” Once more, our group began to walk in silence, with nobody wanting to broadcast any fear or uncertainty they may have had. Ten minutes passed, and we were almost there. The light of the gem was so bright, and with it reflecting off of the ice in every direction, I had to cover my eyes. “…This is it. Up these stairs and atop that podium…is the Royal Gem of Valneva.”

“…Well? Aren’t you going to get it?” I asked. “That is your mission, isn’t it?” Lira bit her lip, and hesitantly glanced at the orchid-colored gem. “This isn’t a trap, is it?”

“That’s why I’m hesitating! It’s so obviously a trap, and I don’t want to get caught in it!” Lira exclaimed.

“How do we know it isn’t one of YOUR traps?!”

“I don’t—! Ugh, fine…” Slowly, Lira lifted her leg, and gently placed her foot on the first step. Nothing happened. With a little more confidence, Lira slowly ascended the stairs of ice and up to the podium. The gemstone was now within reach.

“That thing is a fake.” Lira’s hand flinched just as she was about to touch the gem. I turned around and saw a lone woman approaching us from behind; a fierce look on her face and in her emerald eyes made me flinch like Lira, and I hid myself behind Abigail. “But then…you already knew that, didn’t you, Lira?”

“Who are you?” AeroVeedramon asked.

“SILENCE! I’ll be asking the questions around here!” the woman snapped. “…But since you asked, you may call me Anastasia — Tsarista Anastasia Valneva.” I froze.

The…Tsarista?! That means she’s the ruler of Valneva? I…guess that’s appropriate…

“Now, Lira…why don’t you tell me why you decided to come down here?” Anastasia asked.

“I…wanted to take this gemstone,” Lira said quietly.

“Yes, just like six years ago…Only, you were successful back then. Somehow, you managed to clear the Ice Labyrinth and find your way to the Royal Gemstone, and escape with your life. Why did you come back for something you knew was a fake?!”

“What?! Lira…is this true?!” I asked.

“…Yes. It is. I’m sorry, Eleanora; probably should’ve mentioned this earlier,” Lira said. “After I escaped Valneva, I…I lost it. I lost the gem. I don’t know what happened to it, if I dropped it or what; I thought that maybe it would be back here…”

“Huh; you actually lost it? Some great thief you are,” Anastasia huffed. Lira shook her head.

“I was only fifteen back then; just a stupid kid who thought she could do everything,” Lira sighed. “You knew I was here; is that why you disabled the labyrinth?”

“Precisely; I wanted to catch you myself this time to make up for last time’s embarrassment!” Anastasia said. “And getting these bandits to help you out won’t account for anything.”

“We aren’t bandits! We’re mercenaries from Lachesis!” I shouted.

“Hmph; that’s what Ilora told me. Now that I can see you for myself, I can clearly see…”

“…Yes…?”

“That you’re a lowly gang of criminals! And we don’t tolerate your ilk here very well in Valneva! I’ll see to it that each and everyone here dies a painful death!”

“…Does that include you, too?” Neemon asked. Bokomon immediately smacked him over the head with his book.

“S-S-Shut up!” Anastasia screamed. “Just for that, you’ll be the first to die — a slow death in the cold! And your friend with the book, I’ll have him trampled to death by Mammothmon!” Bokomon groaned. Anastasia then pointed at Lunamon, and then AeroVeedramon. “I’ll have this little one cut into pieces, and fed to your dragon! And then, he shall be removed of his head!” AeroVeedramon yawned, sounding not the least bit threatened by the Tsarista as she pointed at Abigail. “You…You’re very beautiful. I’ll get a nice kick out of watching Vandrik crush your skull with his bare hands! And that leaves you…” Anastasia walked up to me, and drew a knife from her sleeve, placing its cold steel blade against my belly. “I’ll gut you myself — like the cutthroat pig that you are.”

“I–Is this all really necessary?” I asked in a high voice.

“SILENCE!”

“Hold on a minute,” Lira said. Walking down the ice stairs, the thief approached Anastasia and looked her directly in the eyes. “…According to the law of your kingdom, any prisoner condemned to death is allowed to request a trial by combat. If the prisoner is somehow able to emerge victorious, they are free to go. If not, then their opponent may claim their life.” Once again, my heart sank.

“L-Lira…? I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I whispered.

“Well, if you like the way that knife feels against your stomach, then by all means, ignore me,” Lira whispered back.

“That could most definitely work in our favor,” Abigail mused. “Combat is my forte, after all…”

Well, I guess that’s true…and AeroVeedramon is also strong if he gets focused…but I still have a bad feeling about this…

“Very well then. I will accept your…mad offer,” Anastasia said, pulling her knife away from me, allowing me to breathe easy. “But as the Tsarista, I get to declare who fights who.”

“…Right,” Lira said. “…As you desire.” Once again, Anastasia looked over at me.

“You. You will fight against my strongest knight, Gallantmon.” I nearly passed out on the spot.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 207 - Trial by Combat

Eleanora Kasuto​

Anastasia looked over at me. “You. You will fight against my strongest knight; Gallantmon.” I nearly passed out on the spot. “And you will fight him alone.”

“Excuse me; I’m her Digimon partner,” Lunamon began. “And…um—”

“She is to do this alone!” Anastasia snapped. “The trial will begin in thirty minutes. Use that time to prepare yourself…for your demise. Lira, show them the way out.” Anastasia turned her back to us, and left the way we came in.

“…She’s fighting Gallantmon,” Abigail whispered. “No, it can’t be…”

“We’re all screwed, aren’t we,” Lira sighed. “Anyway, the exit’s this way…” Lira lead everyone to a near corner of the underground cave. AeroVeedramon reared up and slashed his way through another trapdoor, allowing us back up to the surface, directly in the middle of what looked like Valneva Castle.

“Well, Neemon…it’s been nice knowing you,” Bokomon said sadly.

“It wasn’t that nice for me; you keep hitting me every time I say something profound!” Neemon protested.

“Yes; profoundly stupid…”

“Hey! You guys are talking like Eleanora’s going to lose! How do you know she won’t win?!” Lunamon snapped. “I think she can do it!”

“Lunamon, we all know Ellie will do her very best, but…she’s fighting Gallantmon,” Abigail said. “A Mega-level Digimon, and a powerful Exalted Knight.”

“…Good point.”

“Everyone…I apologize in advance,” I whispered.

“H-Hey! Don’t talk like that! If you don’t think you’re going to win, then you won’t!” Lira exclaimed.

“Well, it’s not like any of you guys think I can do it!” I complained.

“Look, all the positive thinking in the world won’t be able to protect Eleanora now; Gallantmon is one of the strongest Digimon there is,” Abigail said. “I should know; I’ve seen him in action once or twice myself. He was Zelda’s most powerful Spirit back in the day.”

“Wait, is he the same one?” I asked.

“It’s possible; Zelda’s original Spirits were destroyed by Lilithmon, and then revived, like Dynasmon,” Abigail said.

“Then we really are doomed,” Lira whispered.

“Wait…nobody’s watching…why don’t we just run for it?” AeroVeedramon yawned.

“We wouldn’t get far. I told you that Valneva has the most iron-clad defense of all the Provinces and Territories on Arcadia. Nobody gets in, and nobody gets out,” Lira said.

“No. You guys will get out. I promise you that,” I said firmly. “Even if I have to trade my own life to do it, then you will all get out of here.”

“Ellie, no! Please, don’t talk like that,” Abigail said. “Let me do it. I’ve lived a longer life, so if anyone should sacrifice themselves, it’s me.”

“Really? You’d leave Edmund all alone, without his mother, again?” I asked. Abigail winced.

“That…would be hard…I’d hate to do that to my baby,” Abigail whispered. “But, Ellie, Zelda is such a close friend that you’re one of my babies too! Don’t make me watch you die!”

“I…I’m sorry, Aunt Abigail…but Anastasia wanted me, and me alone, to do this. While I’m fighting Gallantmon, I want you all to get out of here,” I said. “And…give Matthew my regards. Tell him that I will always love him, and that I will continue to watch over him, even in death…”

“…You really are bent on protecting everyone, aren’t you?” Abigail asked.

“I can’t help it. That is my title, after all,” I said softly. “I was dubbed ‘The Guardian’ the moment I joined Lachesis. Remember, Miss Demon?”

“…Yes…” I smiled at Abigail, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’ll miss you…Aunt Abby,” I whispered. “And all of you guys, too…AeroVeedramon the Dragon, Bokomon the Scholar, Neemon the Fool, Lunamon the New Moon…and…Lira the Thief.” Lira gasped at my words; I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. “Yes…I may not have forgiven you yet, but…if you truly wish to help us, then join our guild. Prove your desire to help us.”

“…I…I will,” Lira sniffled.

“Now then…I’ve got a trial to lose,” I said quietly. Taking one final look at all of my friends, the sad looks on their faces, I turned away. Without looking back, I walked silently through the halls of Valneva Castle until I was found by one of the knights and taken to the arena. The knight, a large and brusque man, shoved me into the large room, a gladiatorial colosseum. Rows and rows of people and Digimon sat all around, watching as I was forcefully pushed into the arena. Directly across from me was a Digimon that I immediately knew must have been Gallantmon; resting patiently on his knees in a meditative stance, the Digimon raised his head as I approached.

“…Is it fighting time?” Gallantmon asked. My entire body shook from fear, and the roar of the audience. “Hmph; the queen told me you were a bandit, but you’re such a tiny thing…”

“Looks can be deceiving,” I whispered. Wiping away the remainder of my tears, I drew my sword and glared down Gallantmon as he rose to his feet.

“Go on then, little one. Do your best!” Gallantmon growled.

“I fully intend to!” I gathered every ounce of strength that I could muster and then swung my blade. My mind quickly raced back to the day I first laid eyes upon the sword; it was an inherited gift from my ancestor, Thomas Kasuto, a beautiful blade named Aquroya. I never once parted ways with this beautiful sword, this metallic work of art. I said nothing as I swung it through the air, but I knew that, when I was gone, that I would miss this gorgeous masterpiece as much as I would my friends. Aquroya struck the center of Gallantmon’s shield, and split cleanly in two. Once more, my eyes began to fill with tears at the sight of one of my closest friends shattered and fell to the cold ground.

“Good try…but not good enough!” Gallantmon thrusted his shield into my face; I heard a loud crack as my nose most certainly broke, and I glanced down just in time to see blood come flying out. With the cracked remainder of my treasured sword, I made a jab at Gallantmon’s visor, but the knight only raised his shield once more. I nearly yelled in pain as I felt a bone in my wrist break from the force of my impact. “Hmm…you certainly are strong, tiny one.”

“…Listen…I’ve got a…a proposition for you,” I whispered. “You can do whatever you want with me…but promise that you’ll spare my friends…”

“I’m afraid I’ve been given no such orders to do so, my dear,” Gallantmon said sadly.

“SWEAR IT! Swear it on your honor as a knight!” I screamed. “I will not…let my friends…die.”

“…Very well then. I do solemnly swear this oath…that I shall spare your friends when I defeat you,” Gallantmon said.

“Th…Thank you…Now…I can rest easily,” I whispered, dropping the broken Aquroya to the ground. “I’m ready. Do what you must.”

“…It has been a pleasure, my dear.” Gallantmon pointed his lance directly at my chest. “…Royal Sabre.”

“ELEANORA! DON’T GIVE UP!” It was Lira’s voice. I ducked at the last second and avoided a powerful blast of lightning from Gallantmon’s lance.

“Lira?!”

“Look up!” I did as the voice asked, and saw my friends looking down at me from the audience.

“Damn it; why didn’t you guys run when you had the chance?!” I yelled.

“Like we were just going to leave you behind!” Abigail yelled back. “Really, now, young lady; have more faith in us than that!”

“Look, guys, I already got Gallantmon to spare your lives in exchange for mine! It’s okay! You’re all—”

“NO, IT’S NOT OKAY!” Lunamon screamed. “D-Do you really think that it’s okay to just go and throw away your life like this?! DO YOU?!”

“Lunamon…”

“Listen to me…Don’t you dare…ever…EVER…do something like this again! You can win! You WILL WIN!” Lunamon said, shouting through her tears. “Please…promise me that you won’t…throw your life away…”

“…I’m sorry…Lunamon…But I stand by my word. I will do anything to protect you, and all of my friends at Lachesis. No matter the cost,” I said. Once more, I felt my eyes fill with tears, but I ignored them. “Even if that means…that I may die. I won’t let anybody hurt you, Lunamon.”

“Eleanora!” With great self-control, I managed to force myself to turn away from my friends, and back to Gallantmon.

“…Have you said your peace?” Gallantmon asked.

“I have. But I won’t just stand around; if you want to kill me, you’ll have to put up one hell of a fight!”

“Then expect me to give it my all! Royal Saber!” Gallantmon pointed his lance at the ground just in front of me, striking it with an immense blast of lightning that sent dust flying through the air.

“Damn it, cheap bastard; can’t see a thing,” I muttered. All of a sudden, Gallantmon rushed through the dust and slashed at me with his lance, jabbing at my hip and then tearing diagonally up my belly and all the way to my left shoulder. Blood came spurting out of the massive wound and out of my mouth as I fell to the ground, struggling to breathe.

“…I see you have been cursed with the Mark. You poor, unfortunate soul; destined to a life of hatred because of something you cannot help,” Gallantmon whispered. “Allow me to put you out of your misery.”

“N-No…”

“I’m sorry; but, this is all a part of our agreement, is it not…?”

“Y-You can’t…defeat me,” I gasped, coughing up another spurt of blood. Enduring the pain, I forced myself up, and looked Gallantmon in the eyes. “You lack…the resolve necessary…to kill. Because, you know…I’m not a bandit. And neither are my friends…” Gallantmon lowered his lance, looking taken aback by my words. “You’re just…following the orders of that Tsarista…blindly…that’s…actually kind of pathetic.”

“You know NOTHING!”

“Don’t I…? That look in your eyes…says everything…You’re afraid to have power of your own. You don’t want to kill…you want to protect. Well, start doing your damn job…and protect all of Arcadia!”

“SILENCE!” It was an instantaneous flash of rage. Gallantmon thrust his spear through my right shoulder and shoved me against the wall. The crowd watching us roared with excitement and anticipation, though I knew it was a different story for my friends. “You…You…don’t know my past! You know NOTHING! Don’t talk to me as though you know what I’ve been through!”

“Oh, but…I do…because you…once served…her,” I whispered. “I know exactly who you are…Gallantmon. And that’s why I won’t let you kill me!” I reached up and grabbed onto Gallantmon’s lance, and forcefully pulled it out of my shoulder. Gallantmon stumbled backwards, mostly from surprise, as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my Digivice.

I’m sorry…I swore to you that I wouldn’t use this until it came time for me to kill IceDevimon. But sometimes…you have to break a promise in order to keep one. “Bio Hybrid D.N.A…Charge!!!”

“Y-You…?! You’re a—?!”

“Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioYukinamon!” My entire body had changed completely. I was taller now, and I felt cold no longer. I looked down at my right hand; sure enough, it had turned into the malformed claw of Yukinamon. I reached up and felt my hair; the silky black that I had loved so much had changed to a deep sapphire blue, and my skin, a pale green-blue. I had successfully become Yukinamon. It was as she said; she and I were now one.

“Well, I must say I didn’t see this coming,” Gallantmon said.

“…By this right hand of frozen destruction…I do hereby swear to protect my friends from the evil IceDevimon has spread across the land,” I whispered. “And by my blue curse of ice, I do hereby swear…to defeat you! Phantom Frost!” From my left hand, I expelled a stream of translucent blue flames at Gallantmon. At once, his body began to freeze over.

“Nice try…But you don’t live in Valneva without learning how to deal with the cold!” Gallantmon swung his lance through the air, and the ice around his body shattered. “You’ll have to do better than that if you truly wish to protect your friends! Royal Saber!”

“Icy Aegis!” A barrier of ice formed around me just in time to shield me from Gallantmon’s attack initially, but with a single thrust of his lance, Gallantmon’s lightning managed to shatter my ice barrier and hit me, knocking me back down to the ground. “Ph-Phantom Frost!” I held up my left arm once again, trying to freeze Gallantmon’s feet to the ground, but he simply raised his leg an inch and shattered the ice once more.

“It’s time to end this; Final Elysion!”

G-Got to…stop him! I raised my right claw and held it up against Gallantmon’s shield, forming a shield of my own made of ice just at Gallantmon’s attack launched. This time, my ice managed to repel his attack, thrusting the Exalted Knight backwards through the air as it did. Gallantmon hit the ground with a mighty crash, with the shield on his arm smoldering and blackened. Gallantmon was unconscious. I had won.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 208 - Valencia Falls

Charlotte Corday

Castle Yew​

I looked out of the balcony my room had out across the green fields of Yew. It was another beautiful day; the mid-afternoon sun shone brilliantly upon a vast lake as a gentle breeze stirred the surface. Out in the distance, I saw a much smaller castle than the one I was in now; one that I had called home, once upon a time. I sighed, remembering the days I spent idly by myself in my own private chambers…all alone…

“…Charlotte? Anybody home?” It was Siebold’s voice.

Well, I suppose all good days must come to an end at some point…heh.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, fatso!” Siebold exclaimed. Slowly, I turned around to face my fellow knight.

“Hello, Siebold. How fare you on this day?” I asked patiently.

“Jeez, I’ve been calling you for about five minutes now! What, did you get so fat that you can’t hear anymore?” Siebold asked.

“What do you want, Sir Siebold? Here to insult me as usual?” I grinned.

“What? No, I…I was just wondering what you were doing,” the man said quietly. “Everything’s been rather quiet lately, so I guess I just got bored…”

“…I’ve just been looking out the window here; the view of the lake is gorgeous from this angle,” I said.

“I see…It didn’t look like that was what you were looking at, though,” Siebold said, standing next to me on the balcony. “Is there something you’d like to talk about?”

“You mean with you? The man who makes fun of me and my weight on a daily basis?” I asked teasingly.

“I—! I…” Siebold fell silent, and looked straight down to the floor. “Yeah, you’re right; guess you wouldn’t want to speak to me.”

“…Do you see that castle in the distance?” I asked. “That’s where Count Earnest lives.”

“Yes, I’ve met him once or twice; he’s kinda dull, but I guess he’s a nice enough lord,” Siebold said.

“That’s my father. I used to live there.” Siebold gasped.

“Wh-What?! You…You’re the daughter of a count?!”

“Yes. It was very boring, so I decided to become a knight. I wanted a little excitement in my life,” I replied. “And I must say…I’ve never once regretted my decision. I feel like I truly belong here.”

“Wait, you were BORED with being in the upper crust?! Bored of money, servants waiting on you hand and foot, anything you could ever want?!” Siebold exclaimed.

“Bored of not having any friends,” I sighed. “When you’re born a rich girl, the daughter of a count, there’s actually not too many people who want to be your friend; jealousy, I suppose. Without friends, I…You know, this probably won’t surprise you, but the only thing I had for entertainment was…eating.”

“Oh…that explains a lot,” he snorted.

“I just kept eating until I was full, and then kept eating. I didn’t start gaining weight until I was about fourteen. My father never paid much attention to me — he was kind, but always very busy, and my servants were also almost mechanically kind, no matter how big I got. But I…I liked it.” I smiled and looked down at my large belly. “Ever since I became a knight, everyone here has been so kind to me — besides you, of course. So far, I’ve only ever told Alena that I’m a count’s daughter, and she never once treated me differently. Even Princess Micaiah; ever since we were a bit younger, she always liked taking naps with me and my big, soft belly…I like getting bigger; I like being soft; and I like being fat. It may not be what most other women say or think, but this is just who I am, and I like it.”

“That’s fine; because I like you, too.”

“W-Wha—?! You do not! You’ve insulted me at least four times a day since we’ve met!” I exclaimed, almost laughing. “Or, is it because you just found out that I’m a countess? Because I ran away from home; I don’t have any of my father’s—!” That was when it happened. Siebold leaned over, and kissed me. “…Siebold…”

“I mean it, Charlotte. I…like you.”

“You…”

“I was just like you — except for being rich. I never had any friends growing up until I came here; I just…didn’t know how else to get your attention,” Siebold whispered. “I was too much of a coward to say that it was love at first sight…”

“Do you…really mean that?” I asked quietly. “This isn’t just a set-up for some joke, is it…?”

“I would never do that to you…”

“And you…you know that I don’t have my father’s money anymore, right?” I asked. Siebold nodded. “And I’m also — to use your words — a big fatass. Do you really—”

“Charlotte. You could be poor as dirt, and your gut could be bigger than this castle, and I’d still love you,” Siebold whispered. Once more, he leaned over and kissed me, this time on the cheek. “I love you, and I love everything about you. You’re gentle, and beautiful; and one hell of a fighter. What more could a man ask for?”

“Siebold…” I threw my arms around the mage knight as far as my round belly would allow for. “…Sorry I can’t go further…”

“I just told you I loved you for everything you are; why would I let the size of your belly come between us?” Siebold asked, winking down at me. As the two of us drew in for another kiss, a massive crash shook my room and the entire castle. “W-What the hell was that?! Charlotte, are you okay?!”

“I-I’m fine…” The two of us looked over the edge of the balcony, and saw a massive army of Digimon approaching; rows of Tekkamon, Grademon, and Cerberumon were fast approaching.

“What the hell do they want?!” Siebold hissed. A single Grademon gracefully and slowly descended from the sky and landed on the edge of my balcony’s railing.

“We’re here…for the Royal Gem of Valencia!” the Grademon said. “We of the Olympus Army hereby seize control of this castle in the name of the Earth Mother!”

“You don’t know who the fuck you’re messing with; we are knights of the Valencia Royal Army! In the name of our princess, we will not allow you to desecrate our castle any longer!” Siebold exclaimed.

“Fine; you have been warned. You shall be the first to die! Cross Blade!” the Grademon jumped and thrust his two blades into Siebold’s neck, forcing the two of us apart and my newfound love to the ground, dying.

“SIEBOLD! NO!!!!”

“Ch-Charlotte…Go…run! Protect…the princess…” Siebold gagged on a spurt of blood that spilled from his mouth, and then lay silent.

“SIEBOLD!!!!!!”

Alena Sly​

“…Whew! I think I ate a little too much today,” I said to myself as I walked into my room. I closed my door, and began removing my armor. “Man, my armor’s never been this tight before…” I finally succeeded in removing my breastplate and plackart, sighing in relief as I could breathe easier. I looked down at my belly, observing how bloated and distended it was from my recent meal, and smiled. “Heh; I guess Charlotte’s been a little influential on me. If I keep it up, soon I’ll be bigger than her.” I gave my stomach a few satisfied pats, and fell backwards onto my soft bed. “…I wonder how long those guys from Lachesis are going to stay. I like having them here, but…they’re here to protect Princess Micaiah…and that means she’s going to be in some kind of danger soon…I’m worried…” I placed my shortsword at my side and stretched my arms before resting them underneath my head as I gazed up at the ceiling.

“I wonder when life got to be so complicated…Seems like there’s been nothing but fighting ever since I became acquainted with Lachesis. Not that I blame them for that; they just seem to attract danger and all kinds of evil…I wonder if we ordinary knights can really be of any use to them…Well, I’ll think about it more when I’m not quite so tired…” I closed my eyes and began to doze off when a massive crash shook my room and the entire castle. Immediately awakened and alert, I reached for my sword when another one blocked me from doing so. I looked up and saw a Grademon standing above me on my bed.

“We of the Olympus Army lay claim to this castle!” the tall Digimon said. My heart was pounding wildly like a caged beast as the Grademon looked down, directly into my eyes. “You knights of Valencia will fall along with your kingdom, all in the name of our leader! Grade Slash!”

“ALENA! MOVE!” At the last possible second, I was pushed out of the way of Grademon’s attack by a newly arrived Wikstrom. “Are you unharmed, my lady?!”

“I-I’m fine, but—”

“There are enemies all over the castle; the invasion’s begun,” Wikstrom said sternly. “Here, you’ll need this.” Wikstrom handed me my shortsword, and the two of us faced down the single Grademon.

“One or two of you; it makes no difference. We of the Olympus Army have trained to defeat hundreds of the strongest at once!” Grademon bellowed. “Take THIS!” The Digimon swung his blade down at us while Wikstrom and I held up both of our swords, blocking the attack perfectly.

“We will not allow you to inflict harm upon our princess OR our kingdom!” Wikstrom growled.

“I’m afraid you have no say in this matter!” Grademon snapped. With his other arm, Grademon readied another sword strike, but before he could move, a more familiar blade pierced his chest and killed him.

“Leopardmon!” I gasped.

“…I am pleased to see that at least the two of you still draw breath,” Leopardmon whispered.

“What…do you mean? Is everyone okay?” I asked. Slowly, and almost unnoticeably, Leopardmon shook his head.

“Pherania was killed moments ago by that Grademon I felled,” Leopardmon whispered.

“N-No…”

“And young Siebold was killed in an attempt to protect Charlotte. She, at the very least, managed to survive,” Leopardmon continued in a low, hoarse voice.

“Pherania…Siebold…They’re both…dead…?”

“Yes. I…I was too weak to save Pherania, and Charlotte feels the same for Siebold. But we must not allow emotions to overcome us in this most crucial of battles; come! Charlotte and the members of Lachesis fight on in the throne room!”

Edmund Luxord​

“Damn it; where the hell is Omnimon?” Isole asked, gasping for breath. She and the others were all drenched in blood, both their own and that of the Digimon they had slain. To my immense relief, none from our group had yet died, but I knew better than to tempt fate. “This would be a hell of a lot easier if he were here helping us!”

“He took Micaiah and fled the castle, I’m afraid,” I replied. I snapped my fingers and set another Cerberusmon ablaze, instantly killing the Digimon.

“What?! That self-absorbed son of a—!”

“Hey, watch your back!” Sieglinde exclaimed, slicing an advancing Tekkamon in half before it could reach our tactician. “You okay?”

“…Thanks,” Isole muttered.

“I understand how you feel, but we must fight on. We must defeat the enemy so that nobody else gets hurt,” I said sternly. “And most importantly, we cannot allow them to find Micaiah and Omnimon.”

“Right, I know…” I smiled at our stubborn tactician and placed a hand over her shoulder. Off to the side, I saw a grief-stricken Charlotte slice a Cerberusmon cleanly in two with a single stroke of her lance.

The poor lass; she told me Siebold admitted his love to her before his untimely death. Such a cruel twist of fate to unleash upon such a kind young woman…

“Sword of Annihilation: Extinction Wave!” A powerful wave of energy swept across the throne room. Though it hit me and encompassed my friends, I felt no pain, and it seemed to be the same for my comrades. The enemy Digimon, however, were instantly destroyed by the attack as Leopardmon arrived with Alena and Wikstrom.

“A-Alena! You’re okay,” Charlotte whimpered.

“Charlotte!” The two knights ran up to each other and embraced, with Charlotte immediately bursting into tears.

“He…Siebold, he…”

“I know…Leopardmon told me,” Alena whispered.

“He loved me! Why did he have to die?!” Charlotte almost screamed.

“Charlotte…”

“Where is Omnimon?” Leopardmon asked.

“Left; he managed to escape with the princess,” I answered.

“…We need to leave here. Right now.”

“What? You mean, abandon our castle?!” Wikstrom exclaimed.

“I know how it must seem, Wikstrom, but if we do not leave, we may all be risking our lives over a battle we are most sure to lose!” Leopardmon said. “We must find the other members of Lachesis…and regroup with them, and Omnimon, too. Our castle may fall, but it is just a building. The principles we as knights stand for will never die out as long as we continue to live!”

“Then we’ll need to leave soon; I see more troops arriving from the east,” I said, glancing out a window.

“Let’s get going. For all of Arcadia, we must live to fight another day!” Leopardmon exclaimed.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 209 - Advance of Angels

Ilora​

The vast, snowy fields of Valneva Territory never changed. The sun never once shone upon the ice, leaving untold scores of layers beneath my feet. It was very beautiful; entirely white and grey. I admired the simplistic beauty nature presented us every day in this land.

“…never changes,” I whispered.

“What’s that you’s be sayin’, wee ones?” Vandrik asked from atop his large Mammothmon.

“I hope this never changes,” I repeated. “The snow and ice…I love it here…It’s so cold to outsiders, but for you and me, it’… perfect. And it’s so beautiful here, too…”

“Yeah; Valnevas got it greats!” Vandrik laughed. “Yous and mes are like peas in pod!”

“Y-Yes…I…suppose so…” I looked up at the large man, and smiled. He was one of the very few who I did not feel completely shy around; the same went for our Tsarista, Anastasia. Those two meant the world to me. I looked down at my own partner Digimon, Garurumon; he was undoubtedly the closest thing I ever had to a family. I reached and scratched the Digimon behind his hears.

“So, what yous thinking is going to happens to the banditses?” Vandrik asked.

“O-Oh…well, I…I think our Tsarista will have them executed,” I whispered. Just the mere thought of blood and death turned my stomach, but since they were bandits, I knew it had to be done. “…That girl…Eleanora…She…seemed so sincere…”

“I know what you mean; her eyes were fierce, and protective,” Garurumon said. “She cares for her comrades; that much is obvious. I hate to see such wonderful traits being used for evil…”

“That’s why they must die; with such unprecedented camaraderie, they could easily become a force to be reckoned with; a force too great for us to stop,” Mammothmon added.

“I know…” I gazed sadly at the horizon when something caught my eye. “…Um…V-Vandrik? Wh-What is that…?”

“What is…? Oh…Oh, noes…This isn’t goods,” Vandrik whispered.

“What’s wrong?”

“…An invasions,” the large man said. I looked back to the horizon; it seemed like nothing more than a flock of birds at first, but as they drew closer and closer, I saw they had humanoid forms. “Angemonses!”

“Angemon…? Here, in Valneva? Why?” I asked.

“No goods this can be; a gatherings this large can only be for battleses!” Vandrik shouted.

“I read about it myself once when I was a young lad; Angemon are supposed to be virtuous, but when they gather like this…it can only mean death for their enemies,” Mammothmon whispered. “And I don’t think they’re here to visit us. I can see it in my mind’s eye; they’re ready to attack!”

“Garurumon! Takes the wee ones and goes!” Vandrik yelled.

“But what about you?!” I asked.

“Mammothmon and us will fight; you warn the Tsaristas!” Vandrik said. “Now, goes!”

“No! Vandrik!”

“Hang on tight, Ilora!” Garurumon barked, turning around sharply and running toward the castle.

“VANDRIK! MAMMOTHMON!”

“Heh; we always knew we’d dies fighting upon your backs,” I heard Vandrik say to his Digimon partner.

“It was a good life, and I am honored to have served as your partner,” Mammothmon replied. With the army of Angemon overhead, Mammothmon charged directly into their lines, and that was the last I saw of them before they were lost in the blizzard.

Eleanora Kasuto​

Gallantmon fell to his back, unconscious. I had won. Gasping for breath, I shifted back into my Human form and collapsed on the ground.

“Ellie! Eleanora!” All of my friends were immediately at my side, looking gravely concerned — even AeroVeedramon. Lunamon was holding onto my arm and sobbing. “You…You’re okay…”

“Y-Yes…I’ll be…okay…little one,” I whispered gently, pulling the tiny Digimon closer to me. Bokomon began flipping through his big green book and chanted a healing spell that I had heard all too often throughout my life.

“Ellie…why didn’t you tell us you were a Bio Hybrid?” Abigail asked.

“I’m sorry…I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone,” I whispered back. Thanks to Bokomon’s healing spell, I found the strength to sit up partially. “When I was inside of Sakkakumon, I battled a Digimon called Yukinamon…and she gave me the power to become her. I promised her I would use her power to destroy IceDevimon…but I needed to keep it a secret so that he wouldn’t be able to prepare for it. So, please…”

“Don’t worry; we won’t tell anyone!” Neemon said happily. I felt immensely relieved to know that even Neemon understood my situation. I leaned over and kissed the dumb but loveable Digimon on the forehead.

“…I’m sorry that I worried all of you,” I said.

“Hey…um, so, since you won the fight…can I still join your guild…?” Lira asked nervously.

I smiled. “Of course. I hereby welcome you into our guild, Lachesis.”

“You know, that’s supposed to be Flamedramon’s job,” Abigail said. “But…as his wife, I’ll allow it.”

“You don’t need to say wife so gloatingly,” I chuckled.

“Oh, Ellie, you’ll get married someday very soon; you’re too beautiful to be single!” Abigail cooed. I smiled at Abigail, and hugged her. She was always so wonderful to talk to; so gentle and motherly, kind and caring, but as she wasn’t related to me like Zelda, there were always the little things I felt more comfortable talking to her with. And to think, I almost willingly gave up those memories, and the future I could have spent with her…

“…Well, now…I do hate to admit this, but you won.” Standing right in front of me was none other than Tsarista Anastasia herself. “I guess that means you’re free to go. But don’t you let me see your faces ever again!”

“Before we go…I would like to say one more time that we are not bandits,” I said, standing up to face the Tsarista. “We are mercenaries from the guild Lachesis. We came here to protect the Royal Gem of Valneva, but since it isn’t here…We will do as you wish, and leave.”

“See to it that you do.” Anastasia turned to walk away, but suddenly came to a halt as Ilora and Garurumon suddenly ran up to her.

That girl…she’s the one who froze us solid with that spell. She looks so delicate, but she must be really powerful to cast such a spell…

“Ilora, what is wrong? You and Garurumon seem to be out of breath,” Anastasia said, speaking in a much gentler voice than I had ever heard from her.

“M-My lady…We…We’re being attacked,” Ilora said in between sobs. “Vandrik, he…He and Mammothmon both sacrificed themselves so that I could…sniff…”

“Ilora, dear, who’s attacking us?” Anastasia whispered, gently brushing the tears away from the young woman’s lovely golden eyes.

“WE are!” A surge of light energy blasted through the ceiling of the indoor colosseum, leaving a gaping hole in its wake that allowed scores of Angemon and Angewomon to fly through. A single Angemon landed on the ground before us, while the rest of the Digimon flew about in the air.

“We of the Radiant Army hereby demand that you, Tsarista Anastasia Valneva, relinquish the Royal Gemstone of—”

“Here. Take it.” Anastasia reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the orchid-colored stone. “It’s a fake, but you can have it if you want. I don’t need it.”

“What?! You dare insult the majesty of our army by handing over a fake?!” the Angemon hollered.

“Fine, don’t take it; I don’t know where the real one is,” Anastasia shrugged. “Hell, for all I know, that supposed fake could be the real deal.”

“W-Wait, is this stone the Royal Gem or isn’t it?!” Angemon asked.

“Dunno. But, if you’re looking for the real one and that’s it, it’d be a real shame if you dropped it somewhere,” Anastasia said, briefly glancing over at Lira.

“…I sense no power from this gemstone,” Angemon said.

“Can’t tell you if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“That means that this pathetic stone is a FAKE!” Angemon snapped.

“Good; so throw it away. I certainly don’t need a fake stone taking up any space in my castle.”

“…Wait. You’re trying to fool me into throwing this away, aren’t you?! This is the real stone, isn’t it?! How dare you try to trick me into throwing away the real gem?!”

“Fine, DON’T throw it away! I don’t care!” Anastasia exclaimed in an exasperated voice.

“…How do I know you aren’t trying to trick me into—”

“FOR THE LOVE OF ARCADIA, SHUT THE HELL UP!”

“Okay, okay! But…I still feel like I’m being tricked…”

“My son, there is only one way for you to truly know if you are being deceived.” The Angemon and Angewomon in the air parted away from the opening in the ceiling, and another Digimon, one much taller than Angemon and wielding a key-shaped sword, descended to the blood-stained ground.

“Colonel ClavisAngemon,” the Angemon said reverently, bowing down to the newly arrived Angel.

“My child; look into the eyes of this lovely woman. Tell me; are they the eyes of a liar?” ClavisAngemon asked.

“…No, sir, they are not.”

“Then, tell me…How were you so easily deceived?” ClavisAngemon spoke in a calm and gentle voice, but I had a dreadful suspicion that he was anything but patient.

“I…I—”

“A sinful and wicked heart can easily be lead astray by one’s own thoughts and feelings,” ClavisAngemon continued. “…Her Majesty, the Priestess of Dawn, has no need for vile sinners in her army. Begone!” ClavisAngemon reached and placed a single finger on Angemon’s forehead; a golden beam of light erupted around the Digimon, and in a matter of seconds, he was completely gone. The Angemon and Angewomon in the air all fell silent as their friend faded into dust. “O my fallen comrade; may the light of Zenith Gate purify your corrupt soul, so that one day, you may be reborn anew…”

“…Who the hell are you?!” Anastasia asked.

“Hm? Did my errant comrade not mention my name? I am ClavisAngemon, sub-commander of the Radiant Army,” ClavisAngemon said. “It is by the will of the Priestess of Dawn that I shall take possession of the Royal Gemstone of Valneva. The one you handed to my comrade was most assuredly a falsity. Now, it would behoove you to tell me the location of the real gem…lest something horrid occur to that precious young woman you are attempting to safeguard from me.”

“…I don’t have it anymore,” Anastasia muttered.

“Are you certain? You know what will happen if you lie to me,” ClavisAngemon said.

“And you know what will happen if you try to harm Ilora,” Anastasia responded coldly.

“Then all the more incentive to tell me everything I want to know.”

“It was me! I took it!” Lira suddenly shouted. “I took it…but, I lost it somewhere in the Trillium Mountains. I dropped it…”

“…Hm. You’ve very honest eyes for a thief,” ClavisAngemon said, saying the word ‘thief’ in a disdainful voice. “Tell me; do you possess any other gemstones?”

“Come on; do you really thing I’d be so stupid as to bring them with me?” Lira asked.

“Hm…No, I suppose not…” ClavisAngemon planted his weapon in the dirt and looked into Lira’s eyes. “…You tell the truth, little one. Our target is not in this castle. We shall take our leave of you now.”

“Don’t give me that!” Anastasia snapped. “Nobody barges into MY castle and threatens the lives of my friends without paying for it!”

“Don’t worry yourself over this matter, my dear. We shall meet again…Zenith Gate!” ClavisAngemon pointed skywards, and once more filled the room with a warm golden light; I had to shield my eyes until it was gone. As it vanished, not a single Angel Digimon remained in the room.

“…I WILL FIND YOU, CLAVISANGEMON!” Anastasia screamed. “And when I do…mark my words, you will be destroyed!”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 210 - Serpentine Princess

Flamedramon​

A bright orange sun hung low in the sky; a giant melon contained within a sea of gold. I looked out across the horizon at the shifting desert sands of the Cyprus Desert far in the distance, sitting on the edge of a sandy knoll. I hated the desert more than anything; it reminded me far too much of my past, when I was a Human. My first death. But there was one small memory that filled me with happiness; the first time I met Abigail. That day changed my entire life…

“How long have you been out here?” I looked over my shoulder; Magnamon stood behind me.

“Why did you follow me? There are more interesting people to speak to,” I responded. Magnamon chuckled, and sat down next to me.

“…Coronamon told me all about you. You, and your past…”

“Hmph. That runt…What a time for him to recover his memories,” I sighed. “That damn Apollomon…”

“You’ve had a rough life, Flamedramon. I don’t know how you were able to get out of it alive… twice,” Magnamon added. “It really must have been the Goddess who revived you…”

“I’ve always wondered about that…I’ve lead a wicked life before joining Lachesis; surely that fiery runt told you as much?” I asked.

“He told me everything. Your past…your murders…”

“I don’t want to talk about that part of my past,” I said sternly. “If you’re here to talk…pick another subject.”

“If you insist…Why did you come all the way to Elphierr if you so loathe the desert?” Magnamon asked.

“Jeez; the runt told you that, too?!”

“No, he didn’t; I saw it on your face. And, I made the assumption based on your past…”

“I told you; I’m not interested in discussing my past,” I repeated. “…And you know why I’m here; to protect that gemstone your princess has.”

“Yes, I know. Your guild split into groups to visit all the royals of Celicia,” Magnamon said. “What I want to know is why you personally came here to Elphierr.”

“…It was either me or my wife, Abigail. She has just as many bad memories in the desert province as I do. I wanted to spare her that pain,” I whispered. “She won’t ever admit it…but I know that she still has nightmares. She was born with the Mark, here in the desert, as I was…Only she wasn’t murdered because of it, like me.”

“You must really care about her to do something like that,” Magnamon sighed.

“I do. I love her…Abigail is my entire world; her, and our son, Edmund. I would be lost without them…”

“…Flamedramon…there is something that I must ask you,” Magnamon said nervously. “It is about my fellow knight, Mira…”

“…Yes? What about her?” I asked after a moment’s silence.

“Well…do you think that…Do you think I have a chance—” Before Magnamon could finish his question, a massive bolt of lightning flashed above in the clear sky, with monstrous dark clouds forming overhead. The roar of thunder shook the very earth beneath us as another bolt of lightning struck the ground less than half a mile away. “N-No; that’s where the castle is!”

“Damn it; has the invasion already begun?!” I said to myself. Magnamon and I both climbed to our feet, and began running to the castle. As we drew near, numerous charred bodies lined the road, all pf them dead. “…What the hell is going on here…? Were they all struck by lightning?”

“No; look closer,” Magnamon said, pointing to the ground. “Claw marks…they’re from Raidramon. And not the one partnered with Arkis, either; looks like an entire herd of them. They must be heading for the castle, if they’re not already there…”

“So, these people were just in their way?!” I asked. I looked up to the ever-darkening sky just as a swarm of flying Digimon flew overhead. “Kabuterimon!”

“No…We must hurry!” Magnamon gasped. The two of us continued to run, trying our best to ignore the burned and bloodied corpses that littered the ground. Castle Elphierr was now in sight. The Sandiramon guard posted at the front gate were nowhere to be seen.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

“NOOO! MIRA!!!” My heart sank as Magnamon yelled out, but I remained calm. Mira and Arkis both lay dead in the castle courtyard where we had first battled their partner Digimon. Arkis’s head was a bloody mess, as if crushed in the jaws of a large Digimon. Mira had a large scar across her belly and her neck, and was drenched in blood as well. Her scythe lay snapped in half next to her. “Mira…Mira…Please, don’t be—”

“She’s gone, Magnamon,” I whispered. Magnamon’s interrupted question came back to me. What he was going to ask me…He wanted to know if he had a chance with her…

“Flamedramon, get down!” Out of nowhere, Quetzalmon soared through the air and shoved me out of the way of a bolt of lightning just in time. “Where have you been?! We could’ve used your help a few minutes ago!”

“What happened?! What’s going on?!” I asked.

“What do you think? All these Raidramon and Kabuterimon came in and killed almost all of the Elphierrian Knights! Nobody from our guild was hurt; not yet at least, but that’s only because Coronamon Warp Digivolved into Apollomon just in time!” Quetzalmon exclaimed. “They’re still fighting as we speak! Now, come on! We need your help!” A blast of flames erupted from the second story of the castle. The burnt bodies of three Kabuterimon flew through an opening in the wall and hit the ground in front of me.

“Flamedramon! Up here!” Apollomon bellowed. I nodded, and jumped up to the second floor with Quetzalmon, landing in a vast hallway. I looked back at Magnamon, who was still bent down, sobbing at Mira’s lifeless body.

“…Quetzalmon. Stay with him; make sure he doesn’t get hit,” I whispered. The Mythical Animal nodded, and slithered back down to Magnamon. “Apollomon, where are Queen Nagimon and Nora?”

Apollomon shook his head. “I don’t know where Nagimon is; they managed to separate her from the rest of us,” he sighed. “As for Nora…well, see for yourself.” Apollomon pointed at a tall figure standing off to the side with Matthew, Eleanora, Tamiko, and Kentaurosmon. I gasped.

“S-She…She’s a Bio Hybrid!?” I exclaimed. Nora had become completely different. Her amber hair was changed to a bright green, with two of her bangs changing into snakes. Her lower body had changed to that of a serpent, similar to Nagimon. She was every bit as beautiful as Nora, made only more so by the deep sorrow in her emerald eyes.

“…My name is Gorgonmon,” the Digimon said. “The girl you knew as Nora was only a part of my Stheno Transformation attack. This is my true form.”

“I see…”

“This…all of this happened…because of me,” Gorgonmon whispered, beginning to tear up. “They…they came here because of that stupid gemstone…All of the people that died…It’s my—”

“It isn’t your fault, my lady,” I interrupted. “Those Digimon; they’d have hunted down anyone who had the gem, not just you. The only thing we can do now is prevent any further casualties by fighting on!”

“…You’re right. I know…I just hope I’m strong enough to not slow you all down,” Gorgonmon whispered shyly. I nodded, and looked around the hallway. Countless Raidramon and Kabuterimon stood motionless, and had been turned completely to stone.

“So…how did this happen?” I asked.

“Th-That was me; my Stone Blizzard attack was able to petrify all of them, but it won’t last for very long,” Gorgonmon said. As she said that, a stone Raidramon from behind her immediately shattered, revealing a Digimon beneath the stone. “Medusa Blades!” As the Digimon lunged at Gorgonmon, the princess whipped around and slashed him with the blades on her arms, instantly killing the Digimon. “…There’s not much time. The others will return to their regular forms soon; we must think of a way to stop them before it’s too late…” I looked around that the countless Digimon statues, and saw that many of them were beginning to tremble.

“We’ll have to act fast,” I said.

“…Flamedramon. I realize that this may be a selfish question for me to ask, but…Will you take this and flee?” Gorgonmon reached into her cleavage and pulled out the Royal Gemstone.

“What?! You can’t expect me to just run off and leave you all behind!” I exclaimed.

“Please…if they’re here because of me, then the least I can do is keep you and your guild safe!” Gorgonmon said. “I…I never thought that such an immense army would come here for this gemstone…but we cannot allow them to get their hands on it. Please…”

“…All right, I’ll take it. But I won’t leave you!” I said, taking the gem from Gorgonmon.

“This is an order from the princess of Elphierr.”

“Oh yeah? Well, here’s an order from the leader of Lachesis; we are staying with you!” I shouted. At that moment, all of the Raidramon and Kabuterimon broke free of their petrified forms, and began advancing on us once more.

“We of the Thunder Army hereby lay claim to that gemstone!” one of the Raidramon roared.

“…Come and get it.” A single Raidramon lunged at me, but before he could attack, Gorgonmon slithered up beside me.

“Dreadful Devour!” Gorgonmon opened her mouth wide and, to my surprise, swallowed the Raidramon whole. “Blue Thunder!” Bolts of electricity surged from Gorgonmon’s slim and dainty fingers, striking several Kabuterimon and Raidramon at once and instantly destroying them in the process.

“No way,” I whispered. For the first time, I saw Gorgonmon smile.

“Indeed; whenever I consume a Digimon, I am able to use their attacks as long as they remain in my belly,” Gorgonmon said, turning to me. I saw that her belly had become quite round after swallowing the Raidramon. “Of course…it doesn’t take very much for me to get full…”

“…Are you certain you can handle yourself?” I asked.

“Ugh; depends on how bloated I get from eating too many of these guys…But I should be fine. Trust me, I don’t want to die; not when I have sins that I need to atone for,” Gorgonmon said. Once again, the entire castle began to quake, and the ceiling caved in to make way for a large MegaKabuterimon.

“Oh, my Goddess! That’s…enormous,” I whispered.

“…You guys are going to owe me one massive antacid for the tummyache I’m going to get from this one,” Gorgonmon sighed. “Now, get going!”

“…Fine. Just come back…Just come back alive!”

“NOT SO FAST!” the MegaKabuterimon exclaimed. “We are not leaving without that gemstone! Horn Buster!” The attack of the MegaKabuterimon had me completely enveloped in electricity; I was knocked unconscious in seconds.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 211 - Valorous Queen

QueenChessmon​

Two hours have passed since the warriors of Lachesis met with me. Watching them walk away was one of the hardest things I had to do in my entire life. Oh, how I desperately wished to accompany them, but I knew that in doing so, Cherifia would be left without a ruler. Not that any of my people saw me as much of a ruler; only a coward. I knew that leaving now would only make things worse. With IceDevimon or any of his minions on the way, my only priority was to my people. I just hoped that those from Lachesis were able to get away from this place before it became a warzone. I thought briefly of those three Human girls, Zelda, Mia, and Giselle; they were all very lovely, and quite precious. They reminded me of how badly I wished to be a mother one of these days, and how I had always wanted a little girl just like one of them…

“…How curious,” I whispered, recalling a rumor I had heard from my Digimon friends in my youth. Apparently, Human women who would become mothers had their babies inside of ther bodies! The notion baffled me to no end; the thought of having a living thing growing inside another seemed almost…well, frankly rather cannibalistic to me, at least in my younger days. But now, as I strongly wished to be a mother, the thought seemed almost magical to me; the warmth of having my little one with me, inside of my belly, wherever I went…it sounded almost too good to be true. It sounded much more exciting than simply hatching from a stationary Digi-Egg, at least.

“M-My Queen! QueenChessmon!” BishopChessmon ran into my room, interrupting my thoughts by stumbling over the doors that MetalMamemon had destroyed earlier. “QueenChessmon…”

“Calm yourself, BishopChessmon; now, what is wrong?” I asked gently.

“My queen…the people, they are rioting in the streets! They demand answers!” BishopChessmon was speaking quickly, giving himself almost no time to breath. I raised my staff and struck him on the head, which seemed to knock some sense into him. “…Thank you, I needed that. Now, they must have somehow heard that the king has been gone for some time now…”

“W-What?! How did this happen?!” I gasped. “And where are Craig and the others?! They should be helping to keep order!”

“Well, y-you see…Um, we all overheard your talk with those mercenaries from Lachesis,” BishopChessmon whispered. “Craig, Ballistamon, and MetalMamemon; they all felt somewhat…betrayed that your secret was kept from them for so long that they…Look, they flat-out deserted you. They must’ve told the people about the King, and now…”

“No…no, this can’t be happening,” I said. I ran out of my room and all the way out of the castle, and was greeted by hundreds and hundreds of angry people and all kinds of mechanical Digimon; Guardromon, Mechanorimon, Giromon, Tankmon, Volcamon, it was impossible to count all the different varieties.

“We want answers!” someone from the mob shouted. “Where is KingChessmon?!”

“Why has our king abandoned us!??”

“Answer us, you coward!”

“You dare claim to be a brave hero?! Your husband would be ashamed!”

“Ooh, I’d let her fiddle around with my hard drive any day…”

“Guardromon, shut up!”

“Your knights had every right to abandon you, you fraud!”

“Who the hell is Daemon?!”

“M-My people…I…I regret to inform you that my husband, KingChessmon, has been missing for several months,” I said, trying to speak calmly. A wave of silence rushed over the crowd.

“…You…you knew all this time, and you said nothing to us?!” someone shouted.

“Please, listen to me; your king has told you stories that he has gone out on missions all across the continent to help those in need. But I must tell you; these stories are false! It is I who performed these deeds. I said nothing whenever he said these falsities because I was not interested in fame, or glory. But I speak the truth!”

“Why should we listen to you now?!”

“Yeah; some evil Digimon is on his way over here right now; we’re all screwed because of you!”

“My people, listen; while it is true that an army of evil is fast approaching our home, we must not panic. I swear on my life to protect you and our home from the forces of IceDevimon!”

“And how will you do that; by running away?!” Someone from the mob asked, causing the entire crowd to burst into laughter.

“SILENCE! You stand before the queen of your kingdom; show her the respect she deserves!” BishopChessmon yelled.

“Respect THIS!” Out of nowhere, a fist-sized stone was flung, hitting the side of my head. More and more stones were flung, but they were deflected by a barrier of light set up by BishopChessmon. I slumped to my knees, and the tears began to come, against my will.

“Bishop…Chessmon…things…shouldn’t have to be this way,” I sobbed. “I just want to protect my people! Why are they making things so hard?! Why don’t they understand…?”

“My queen, please, do not fear; I swear, things will turn out favorably,” BishopChessmon whispered, kneeling at my side. “I sent my brother out to find Examon a while ago. They should be here shortly. Examon will be able to help, I’m sure of it!”

“…Why…? Sniff…Why??”

“Oh, my queen…M-My queen; look out!” BishopChessmon pointed his staff at the mob before us; a giant shadow was forming underneath them, growing larger and larger by the second.

“My people—!!!” Before I could stand up, it was too late. All of them were swallowed up by the darkness in a matter of seconds. All fell silent around his. Replacing the mob were hundreds of Devimon and LadyDevimon, Myotismon and SkullSatamon.

“Attention, QueenChessmon of Cherifia Territory; we are the Midnight Army,” one of the Devimon said. “…On behalf of our most gracious action, we request that you relinquish your Royal Gemstone into our possession.”

“Gracious action?! What are you talking about?!” BishopChessmon asked.

“Why, we eliminated that bothersome crowd for you; I personally saw to it that each and every one of them died for the undeserved angst they put you through,” the Devimon responded, bowing ever so slightly.

“W…What?! No! How could you do something like that?!” I screamed. “They were innocent people, frightened of what’s yet to come!”

“They were all guilty of treason against their queen, not to mention one case of assault. They deserved to die for such erroneous transgressions.” The same Devimon reached out his long arm, holding out his hand. “I’ll ask you once more, and only once more. Relinquish the Royal Gemstone of Cherifia Territory!”

“…I don’t have any such gemstone,” I whispered. “I never even saw it. It is likely in the possession of my husband, KingChessmon.”

“I see. And, where might we find him?” Devimon asked.

“I…don’t know. He’s a cowardly little man; he’s been gone for months now.”

“That may be…but we cannot allow this to distract us. We need that gemstone…and if you’re lying to us…well, our colonel should be able to loosen those lips of yours.” Devimon snapped his fingers, and another shadow began to form on the ground; this time, from something in the sky; a massive birdlike Digimon, looking partially decayed and covered in black feathers. “My dear, bid welcome to Colonel Velgemon of the Midnight Army. He is a mindless beast, but much more powerful than the army standing beneath him! Our master, the Archduke of Dusk, places a great deal of trust in him!” Velgemon emitted a massive shriek as he descended to the ground. The Devimon and the rest of his army sank back down into the shadows and vanished completely from sight.

“Stand back, my queen; I shall protect you!” BishopChessmon exclaimed, jumping in front of me.

“No, don’t!”

“Bishop Laser!”

“Dark Vortex!” The attacks of the two Digimon collided in the air; a beam of pure-white energy from BishopChessmon’s staff, and a beam of darkness from Velgemon’s third eye. BishopChessmon’s light was immediately pushed back, however, and in an instant, Velgemon’s darkness consumed him, and destroyed him.

“NOOOO!!!!!” Velgemon shrieked at the same moment I did, rising up into the air while preparing to attack again. “…No…this…this can’t be happening…” Velgemon shrieked once more, and swooped down on me, but before his talons could reach my body, the form of another massive Digimon soared in and tackled Velgemon away. “…Examon…”

“My queen; I am eternally sorry that I could not have arrived sooner,” Examon whispered gently, lowering himself to the ground. On his back was RookChessmon. “That cretin; he did not harm you, did he?”

“Not me…but, BishopChessmon…”

“…I saw,” RookChessmon whispered. “He died…as he lived. Protecting the queen — and the woman — that he so dearly loved…”

“We must ensure that your brother’s death is not in vain!” Examon lowered himself to the ground, allowing RookChessmon to climb down to the ground, and then rose to the sky to face Velgemon.

“Dark Vortex!”

“Pendragon’s Glory!” Once more, Velgemon’s attack with another in the air; this time, however, he proved the weaker as Examon’s attack pushed the Giant Bird back down to the ground. The Velgemon screeched once again, and then sank into the shadows.

“…Is he gone?” I asked.

“Yes…but not for good. He merely escaped,” Examon sighed. “I promise you, my queen…I will protect you with my life from that fiend. He shall not claim another life!”

KingChessmon​

I examined the gemstone, pitch as black, that rest in the center of my hand, and wondered — how long had I been gone from Cherifia? One month? Two? Forty-Eight? Well, probably not that many. Still, it seemed like a lifetime ago since I last saw Daemon and the others. The last I heard, he was killed by members of Lachesis. Not that it mattered much to me; in hiding, I was completely neutral. I peeked out of my little stone hideout in the middle of the Savage Prairie.

“You! KingChessmon!” My heart skipped a beat — something I was quite used to — as I had not heard another person’s voice in quite some time. A single Devimon stood above me. In the air above him were countless other Fallen Angel Digimon. “…That stone. We of the Midnight Army seek it! Now, hand it over!”

“O-Oh! Most certainly, sir! H-Here! J-j-just don’t hurt me!” I said, hoping that I sounded braver than I did. I tossed the black gem, the Royal Gemstone of Cherifia, to the Devimon, who smiled.

“We are most grateful to you, KingChessmon.”

“S-So, then…Will you…grant me your protection?” I asked. “I…gave you what you wanted…So you have to protect me now, right?!”

“…No.” A tiny spear of darkness pierced my chest, fired from one of Devimon’s long fingers.

“B-B-But…why?!” I asked. “I…helped you…You have to…”

“Our master is not interested in cowards. Die here, all alone, with only the thought that you’ve helped to improve this world in your last moments…” Everything faded to black; whether it was from the wings of the Fallen Angels or my coming death, I doubted I would ever find out…

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 212 - With the River's Flow

Zelda Kasuto​

The lush green grasses of the Savage Prairie swayed at my feet at the coming of a gentle breeze. The sun was still high in the blue sky, but it was beginning its descent down as evening slowly approached us, leaving a stunning reflection in the massive and winding Ambrosia River that coursed through the eastern continent.

“…You okay?” Statuedramon asked.

“Oh, I’m fine…I’m just wondering if we should’ve stayed in Cherifia or not,” I sighed.

“The queen didn’t have any kind of gemstone; we’d have been imposing on her unnecessarily,” Statuedramon said.

“I know, I know…But, if some of IceDevimon’s troops found her…”

“Why would they? She doesn’t have a gemstone,” Reapermon suggested. “I see no reason why she would have lied about it to us. She is an honest queen.”

“Yeah…I guess you’re right,” I sighed. “I just…feel kind of guilty just leaving her like that, you know?”

“You can’t help that; it’s just who you are,” Celtinemon said. “You have a big heart, and you want to protect everyone.”

“That’s why every one of us in Lachesis loves you so much!” Giselle exclaimed, grabbing onto my arm. “…You really remind me of my mom. That’s why I don’t miss her as much whenever I’m with you…”

“Oh, Giselle…” I reached over and gently placed a hand on top of the younger girl’s head. Heh; she reminds me a little bit of Chrysania. Always so sweet and happy, I always forget that they’ve had rough pasts. And they’re both just so cute and ditzy, it’s impossible to dislike them…

“…Zelda! I see someone approaching!” Statch suddenly said. “Hey…I think that’s Lucia’s group!”

“That is indeed them; but I count when one more than there ought to be,” Reapermon said.

“It’s probably just Sephyrus; he tagged along them because…Larraine,” Statuedramon whispered.

“No, I counted him…I think that’s Dynasmon with them!” Reapermon exclaimed.

“HEYYYY! OVER HERE!” Giselle suddenly exclaimed, jumping and waving at the other group. Statuedramon looked like he wanted to protest, but said nothing. Giselle’s wide smile broadened as our two groups converged.

Poor little guy; I guess Larraine hasn’t quite forgiven him yet…

“Giselle? What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to go to Cherifia?” Lucia asked.

“We could ask the same of you; are you not supposed to be in Shendu?” Reapermon responded.

“Well…the Emperor kinda got mad at us, and made us all leave,” Sparrow said with a nervous laugh. “Dynasmon here said he’d escort us all back home.” I smiled up at the Exalted Knight, pleased to see him once again. Dynasmon bowed to me slightly before turning his attention to Reapermon.

“…You…aren’t you Vajramon?” Dynasmon asked.

“Hah! So, you noticed, did you?” Reapermon laughed. “It has been a long time, my friend. I was told you became a knight of Shendu.”

“Indeed; I tried to find Zelda when I was reborn, but when I could not, I simply became a knight in the kingdom that raised me in my childhood,” Dynasmon said. “…I simply cannot fathom the mind of my emperor sometimes; here, these brave warriors came to help him, but he simply sent all them away!”

“Well, I wish we had your luck; you at least know where your target gemstone is,” I said. “QueenChessmon of Cherifia didn’t even know of them to begin with!”

“Really? How strange,” Larraine commented.

“Still, at least we didn’t get yelled at,” Mia said. “Since the queen didn’t have a gem, we all decided to leave and go back home.”

“Yes; it might prove beneficial for us to regroup as soon as possible,” Lucia murmured.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked.

“No; not to my knowledge, at least. I just have this sense of foreboding ever since we set out on this mission,” the woman sighed. “Like, I can feel it in my gut, you know? Something bad is going to happen…or already has.”

“I know what you mean. My stomach’s been in knots all day,” I whispered.

“Uh…I think it’s about to get a lot worse,” Statuedramon said worriedly. I saw Larraine roll her eyes the moment her father spoke.

“What is the problem, Statuedramon?” Sephyrus asked, walking up to the Rookie Digimon. Larraine sneered disdainfully at the sight of the two together, and walked away behind Lucia.

“…The river…We’re being followed.” At that moment, a tremendous splash emanated from the Ambrosia River as dozens of Seadramon popped out of the water. “Damn; I hate it when I notice these things!” Before Larraine could say anything to her father, the Seadramon all readied their attacks on all of us.

“Everyone; defensive positions!” Lucia ordered. Moving faster than I had ever seen her move, Lucia grabbed Giselle and Larraine and placed them behind her and Mihiramon. Mia summoned Aquarimon, and I summoned Mercurymon to help deflect the attacks with Statuedramon and Hawkmon, who had Armor Digivolved into Shurimon. Lloyd, Sparrow, Tactimon, Reapermon, Dynasmon, and Celtinemon began attacking the Seadramon, successfully taking out several of them, but as soon as one was defeated, two more would emerge from the river in its place.

“Damn; there’s just no end to them!” Sparrow exclaimed, swinging his axe to decapitate another Seadramon.

“HALT YOUR ATTACKS!” At once, all of the Seadramon, as well as all of us, stopped moving, upon hearing the new voice. The Seadramon lowered themselves back down into the river while a new form emerged.

“No way…I know who that is,” I whispered.

“I am Colonel MarineDevimon of the Ocean Army!” the new Digimon bellowed.

“Oh no…one of IceDevimon’s armies managed to find us!” Statch gasped. MarineDevimon sneered.

“Do not misunderstand, worm; the Ocean Army may be loyal to IceDevimon, but we serve only one master — the Ocean Princess!” MarineDevimon yelled.

“…What do you want with us?” Lucia asked.

“What do you think?! I’m here to take back what my master wants!” MarineDevimon pointed a tentacle at Statuedramon, at the edge of which was a golden necklace. I gasped the moment I saw it.

“Th-That necklace! Where did you get it?!” I asked.

“…That’s the one you gave to Thomas, wasn’t it?” Statuedramon asked. I nodded.

“Well, it’s funny you should ask me that; over a year ago, two of my useless flunkies — Ikkakumon and CaptainHookmon — were able to break into your fortress and steal it right from underneath your noses!” MarineDevimon boasted. Nearby, I could see Giselle shift around nervously. “But…those damn fools…This stupid thing is useless to me. Might as well give it back to you.” MarineDevimon flung the necklace to the ground, landing at my feet. “What I wanted — what I NEEDED — was the gem that was inside the damn thing! And you have it! I can sense it!” MarineDevimon was glaring down at Statuedramon.

“Well, you’ve been spending all this time looking for me? I’m flattered,” Statuedramon said sarcastically.

“Cut the small talk; hand me the gem, and I won’t have to harm any of your friends!” MarineDevimon bellowed. Statch glanced over at Larraine, and then sighed.

“…Fine. It’s all yours.” The Digimon reached into his shield’s separate dimension, and pulled out a brilliantly gleaming blue stone — the one that had been inside the necklace I gave to Thomas all those years ago.

“D-Don’t be stupid, old man! Don’t give that to them for MY sake!” Larraine snapped.

“Larraine, let your father do this,” Sephyrus said calmly. “He does this not for you just…but for all he holds dear.”

“But…but he…he can’t,” Larraine whispered.

“You already hate me; what am I going to do, make you hate me even more?” Statch said, giving Larraine a sad smile. “That thing…I always thought it was a blessing. But it wasn’t…it was a Horcrux created by Lilithmon. The necklace kept Pelleas alive when he was stabbed in the chest, but that power of immortality left when SkullCaliphmon was killed. But…that was only the necklace. This stone…it’s something else entirely. It was only by coincidence that Lilithmon managed to find this thing…” MarineDevimon wrapped one of his tentacles around Statch’s wrist, and took the gem from him.

“…You…how could you…?” Larraine asked tearfully. “How…could you…?” Statuedramon said nothing, and looked steadily down at the ground.

“Yes…this is the genuine article. The Ocean Princess will be most pleased,” MarineDevimon said. “Now then…you…I’ve met you before.” MarineDevimon was now looking at me.

“Y-Yes…I remember fighting against a red MarineDevimon off the coast of Shendu about five-hundred years ago,” I said. “I take it that was you?”

“I’ll never forgive you…You took my treasure!” MarineDevimon shouted.

“Jeez, how much treasure does one Digimon need?” I heard Sparrow whisper.

“MarineDevimon, please understand; that treasure was a Horcrux made by an evil Digimon called Lilithmon,” I said. “It housed the soul of an evil Digimon called Generalmon—”

“SILENCE! I don’t care what it was! I just want it back! Dark Deluge!”

“Dark Reflection!” Mercurymon jumped in front of me, raising his shields to absorb MarineDevimon’s attack before reflecting it back at him.

“DAMN…YOU…ALL! SEADRAMON! DESTROY THEM! DON’T LEAVE A SINGLE ONE ALIVE!” MarineDevimon sank back into the Ambrosia River — taking the blue jewel with him — and vanished from sight. The Seadramon once more began their attack. I reached into my purse to pull out another Digimon Spirit, but stopped when my feet where struck and frozen solid by the Seadramon’s attacks.

“Zelda; are you unharmed?!” Mercurymon exclaimed.

“Mercurymon, behind you—!”

“Serpent Flame Purgatory!” Reapermon unleased a thin stream of flames at the ice blast aimed at Mercurymon, protecting my Digimon Spirit just in time. “Keep your shields up!”

“R-Right! I thank you…”

“Goddess Urn!”

“Double Star!”

“Tiger Wing Blades!”

“Primary Tactic!”

“Shooting Star Sword!”

“Dragon’s Roar!” One by one, each of our Digimon allies were countering the attacks of the Seadramon, with some managing to defeat the Sea Animals, but like last time, when one Seadramon fell, another two took its place.

“This isn’t good,” Lucia muttered. “I’d order a retreat, but the Seadramon can just fly after us!” Lucia swung her sword, managing to defeat yet another Seadramon, but was then ambushed by three. The three readied their Ice Blast attacks, but at the last second, they turned their heads and fired their attacks at Larraine. “NO! LARRAINE!” With nowhere to run, Larraine simply looked on as the three attacks approached her. One foot away, they were about to strike their target when Sephyrus ran in front of her and took the full force of the attacks to the chest. Slowly, the man that had once been my enemy fell to the ground, bleeding. Dying.

“S-Sephyrus…! NO!” Larraine gasped as the man fell into her arms, staggering to breathe. “No…no! Y-You can’t die! Not yet! You can’t! No!!!” Larraine’s ruby eyes filled with tears as blood filled the gaping hole in Sephyrus’s chest.

“…You bastards…You’ve made my daughter cry. AN UNFORGIVEABLE MISTAKE!” Slowly, Statuedramon rose into the air and became enveloped in a bright blue light. “Statuedramon Warp Digivolve to, Azulongmon!” Once more, I had the honor of seeing Statuedramon change into his strongest form, the mighty Sovereign. Azulongmon rose into the sky and twisted his body around. “Aurora Force!” Bolts of blue lightning fell from the sky, striking all of the Seadramon in sight, incinerating them instantly. A few more rose up, but they too met the same fate as their allies. Azulongmon continued hurling bolts of lightning into the river, stopping only when no more Seadramon emerged. Azulongmon remained still and silent for a few minutes, and then returned to his Rookie level form, panting and gasping for breath. “…Those bastards…” Quietly, Statuedramon walked over to Larraine, who was still clinging onto Sephyrus. “…You…you’re finally dying…”

“Y-Yes…I…It’s what I wanted,” Sephyrus whispered. “This way…I can be with Lilithmon…for all eternity…just as I promised her when we first met…”

“Sephyrus…” The dying man turned his head to look Larraine in the eyes, and gently stroked the side of her face.

“My dear…I know…there is much you wanted to say to me…and much more you wanted me to suffer through…But I…cannot stay. Truly…I am sorry…for everything I have done to you…Live a…happy life…Statch…protect…her…” Sephyrus’s hand felt to his side, completely still. After a long life, he had finally died. Larraine, covered in his blood and shaking with sobs, flung herself into Statuedramon’s arms.

“S-Statuedramon…why…why did he have to…? Why did he have to die?!” Larraine sobbed.

“He wanted to protect you. As do we all,” was all the Digimon said in return.

“…F-Father…I…I’m sorry…” I gasped.

She…she finally called him…

“I know you are, Larraine. I’m sorry, too…”

“Father…I…I love you…”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 213 - Time and Space

Eveene​

The Tower of Progression still managed to stand and remain strong, thanks to Jarod’s power. A protective aura surrounded it and the power it bestowed upon the world. I walked somewhat absentmindedly around the empty white bottom floor of the tower. My eyes immediately closed whenever I spotted the stain of Jarod’s blood left behind when he was killed by Gryphonmon, but I still found myself unable to remove it despite how easily I could have; to me, it felt like I would have been destroying the final memento of his memory, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Desdemona sat directly across from the blood stains, curled up on the floor in a silent ball. With my familiar, Bukamon, resting on my shoulder, I walked over to Desdemona and sat down next to her.

“How are you holding up, dear?” I whispered. The young redhead said nothing, and simply shook her head. In her lap was a bright crimson Digi-Egg belonging to her familiar, DemiMeramon. “…You poor thing. I shouldn’t have let any of that happen. I shouldn’t have let you see…what happened…” Desdemona shook her head once again, and looked up at me. Her once vibrantly beautiful red eyes were now dull and without their usual bright shine, and reddened from crying. I knew how much Jarod meant to her; when she was just a baby, she was abandoned here at the Tower by her parents. Jarod and I took her in and raised her, with Jarod acting as a grandfather to her, and I as a mother, even though I was but eight years old at the time.

“…Eevie…why…why did Amiri have to betray us?” Desdemona asked in a hoarse whisper. It broke my heart to see the once-lively girl in such a state of depression. Bukamon slid off my shoulder and glided away upstairs, obviously wanting to leave the two of us alone.

“I…I don’t know, dear…He and Yokomon were the last to be named Guardians, so it’s possible it was always his intention,” I said. Immediately realizing I may have said the wrong thing, I firmly but gently placed my hand over Desdemona’s shoulder. “Dezzie, listen to me; Jarod might be gone, and Amiri might have left us, but we mustn’t let our sadness overtake us, lest the darkness consume us all. With everything that’s going on now, we cannot allow that to happen. We must remain strong not only for the Tower of Progression, but for Jarod’s sake, and our friends at Lachesis. That is the only way to truly honor Jarod’s death, so that he will not have died in vain. Do you understand?”

“…I guess so,” Desdemona whispered. I saw her eyes glance at the stain of blood involuntarily, making her flinch at the sight. I pulled her in closely and hugged her. “I just…want DemiMeramon to hurry and come back…and Jarod too. But then I remember…Jarod won’t be coming back. He won’t hatch out of a Digi-Egg like Demi…” Desdemona turned around and leaned her back against my arm, gently and slowly rolling the red Digi-Egg around on her belly. I reached out and placed a hand on the Digi-Egg; it was very warm, a good sign that it was about to hatch. I knew Desdemona knew that, and I knew that she was excited to see her friend once again, but Jarod’s death weighed too heavily on her heart to let such joy show on her beautiful face.

“That may be…but as long as we remember him, then he will never truly die,” I said. “Jarod will continue to live on inside of our hearts…”

“…Yeah.”

“EVEENE! EVEENE!” Bukamon immediately came sailing back into the room, crash-landing onto my chest. “Eveene, we have a problem!!!”

“Bukamon, slow down! What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to remain calm. Desdemona sat straight up, looking very concerned.

“…We…we’re surrounded,” Bukamon panted. “We…we’ve been found…Someone…”

“No; you must be joking!” I exclaimed.

“Unfortunately, Bukamon is correct.” The voice of Craniamon echoed through the room as the Exalted Knight materialized himself in front of us. Desdemona and I stood up. “An army of Vademon has surrounded the Tower of Progression. We must act fast.”

“V-Vademon? I’ve never heard of them,” Desdemona whispered.

“They are very bizarre Digimon with large heads and skinny bodies,” I said. “It’s as if they came from another world…”

“Whatever the case, we must act quickly, before they attack,” Craniamon said.

“What do you mean? Are you saying we need to leave?!” Desdemona exclaimed. Slowly, Craniamon nodded his head. “Y-You can’t be serious! What about Jarod?! We can’t just leave him…”

“He’ll be okay; I buried him the day after he…Well, the Vademon are not here for him anyway. They are here for that which Amiri stole from us,” Craniamon said, saying the name of our former comrade in a spiteful hiss. “With any luck, they’ll find him and deliver the punishment he deserves. But for right now, we need to escape. Plesiomon and I won’t be able to handle such large numbers for very long if we decide to fight.”

“But, where should we go?” I asked.

“I’ve already a place in mind; a small desert village by the name of Myrta. A group of powerful Digimon known as the Royal Order is said to live there. We must go to them, and fast.”

“How will we—?” Before I could finish my question, Craniamon’s spear materialized in his hand.

“Shock Ringer!” Craniamon swung his massive lance around in the air, creating a massive gale around the four of us. I could hear a deafening crash just outside the whirlwind, but could see nothing, though I could feel myself lifting up gently into the air. The mighty gale seemed to vanish as soon as it appeared, and when I looked around, we were no longer in the tower, but in the Cyprus Desert, just at the entrance of a village.

“…Is this Myrta?” I asked. It was said it was a small place from what I had heard of it, but I never expected it to be such a lovely sight.

“It is, but we don’t have time to waste; we must speak with the Royal Order,” Craniamon said.

“Indeed; we have indeed been expecting you, Craniamon,” an unfamiliar voice spoke. Standing in front of the Exalted Knight were three Digimon. “My name is Shuthmon, embodiment of the land of the Royal Order.” The largest of the three Digimon, resembling an evolved Kokatorimon, stepped forward as he spoke. “And you…you four are from the Tower of Progression, are you not?”

“Yes, we are, although I myself am not one of the four guardians. These young ladies with me are Eveene of the Great Sea, and Desdemona of the Great Flame,” Craniamon said. “Unfortunately, my partner, Jarod of the Great Earth, was killed in battle recently by the traitorous Amiri of the Great Sky.”

“Oh? So, one of the Guardians has turned against us?” Shuthmon asked. “Hm…Just as Neuthmon foresaw…”

“Please, forgive us for coming to you out of the blue, quite literally, but we have need of your assistance,” Craniamon continued. “The Tower has been found by an army of Vademon in search of the gemstone taken by Amiri.”

“What?! You lost your gem?!” Shuthmon squawked. “Where is your sense of responsibility?! How could you let something so precious out of your sight?!”

“Grandfather, calm yourself,” one of the Digimon standing behind Shuthmon said in a calm voice. The Digimon resembled, for the most part, a Human woman, but had the flaming wings of a phoenix on back and in place of her arms.

“…You’re right. I apologize…Oh, this is my granddaughter, Nepthysmon, the embodiment of rebirth,” Shuthmon said, looking at the Digimon who spoke. “Joining us is her nephew, Horusmon, the god of war.”

“You…are Horusmon?” I asked, looking at the third Digimon, a hawk-headed man in a black cloak. “I’ve heard of you…”

“And I am certain most of it is any combination of true and not very good,” Horusmon said sadly. “I was led astray by emotions in the distant past and turned to darkness, but my friends were able to help me to see the light once again.”

“…Come with us. It seems there is much we need to discuss,” Shuthmon said. The Giant Bird began leading us through the serene village and to a large mountain at the village’s end, walking past several outdoor restaurants displaying food that made my stomach growl.

I just HAD to skip breakfast today, didn’t I…Well, the others probably won’t notice if I leave for a few minutes…

“Hey! Eveene! Stay with us!” Bukamon whispered into my ear. “I know you better than you know yourself; hungry as you are, you’ll be here for hours.”

“I-I will not! Just a few—”

“Nope. Keep walking,” Bukamon said sternly.

“Fine…” Reluctantly, I kept on walking, to my empty stomach’s chagrin, following Shuthmon, Horusmon, and Nepthysmon through Myrta until we reached the mountain. Shuthmon lead us through a small cave opening, one so small Craniamon had to de-Digivolve back into Tsunomon and hop into my arms in order to enter. The dim and murky cave lead directly into a large room ornately decorated with candles and golden furnishes.

“Wait here while we consult with our leader, GodPhoenixmon. In the meantime, make yourselves at home, honored guests,” Shuthmon said. The three Digimon walked down a separate hallway, leaving the four of us all alone.

“…This is a nice place,” I whispered, looking at the various decorations. The light of the candles shone brilliantly across the surfaces of gold, creating an utterly stunning view of reflected light. The serenity of it all was interrupted by the sound of a pair of footsteps. “…Someone’s coming.” I looked through the cave we entered from, and saw a bright orange light.

“…Is this the place?” I heard a voice ask.

“A large mountain at the edge of Myrta? It’s gotta be.”

“Who’s there?!” I shouted.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on!” the two voices exclaimed. Two Digimon, a Meramon and a SkullMeramon, walked into the room. “We aren’t enemies; we’re just here to meet with the Royal Order!”

“…One of my closest friends recently revealed that he was on IceDevimon’s side. How do we know we can trust you?” Desdemona asked in a dark voice.

“I…Well, I…Look, we’re not here to cause any trouble, all right?” the Meramon said. “My older brother just gets worried easily…”

“My foster daughter came to visit the Royal Order a few days ago, and we’re here to see them to make sure everything went okay,” the SkullMeramon said. “Her name is Larraine, and she’s with the mercenary guild Lachesis.”

Did he say…Lachesis? “…Fine. I believe you,” I said. “There’s been a lot going on lately, and I’d prefer to have as many allies as possible, rather than drive them away. But surely, you can understand our…initial wariness.”

“I can indeed…Larraine’s been telling me all about it in her letters,” SkullMeramon sighed. “Actually, in her latest letter, she told me her guild was going across Celosia Province to find some group of gemstones to protect them from IceDevimon; apparently, that decision was made shortly after coming here, so I decided to come here to make sure she isn’t getting in over her head.”

“I understand; but you must understand, Lachesis tends to do things their own way,” Tsunomon said, hoping out of my arms and onto the floor. “They’ll do whatever they think to be the right thing…for the good of all.”

“Yes…that’s precisely why I’m worried about her,” SkullMeramon sighed. “She’s such a delicate little thing, but she’s recently grown to be so strong. She’s not a fighter, though, and she refuses to harm another living being, so I can’t help but worry about her.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much; she has so many friends with her to help her out,” I said. “In fact—” I was interrupted by a sudden, powerful tremor that seemed to resonate throughout the entire mountain. “Wh-What’s going on?!”

“Everyone! Outside!” Horusmon’s voice shrieked through one of the hallways. The Digimon raced into the room. “They’ve found us!”

“Not the Vademon!” I gasped.

“No, not them; it’s an army of SkullScorpiomon,” Horusmon said. “They’ve come for GodPhoenixmon’s gemstone!”

“What?! He has one, too?!” Tsunomon asked.

“There’s no time; we must get outside!” Horusmon said. The Digimon hastily grabbed both me and Desdemona and flew us out of the room, with Meramon and SkullMeramon quickly following after us. As soon as we made it outside, we were faced with a matchless number of SkullScorpiomon. Myrta lay fallen in smoldering ruins.

No…it hasn’t even been ten minutes! Horusmon stood between us and the army, and without warning attacked the lot with a massive stream of black flames. The Insect Digimon all scattered away from the flames, but ultimately many were immediately incinerated by Horusmon’s attack.

“A futile attempt, so-called god of war!” a new voice bellowed. The SkullScorpiomon all parted to make way for a massive, four-legged Digimon to approach us. “I am Colonel SkullMammothmon of the Desert Army! By orders of the Sands of Time, we are here for our lord’s gemstone!”

“Try and take it; I dare you! Thundurus Judgment of Mighty Osiris!” Dozens of mighty bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, striking SkullMammothmon and the army of SkullScorpiomon. SkullMammothmon, however, was able to easily shake off the attack.

“Another futile attempt! How laughably foolish of you, Horusmon!” SkullMammothmon laughed. “You should have stayed aligned with Lilithmon, in the darkness where you belong! You were much stronger as an agent of darkness!”

“Shut up…SHUT UP!”

“Spiral Bone Crusher!” One of the spikes on SkullMammothmon’s back dislodged and flung itself into Horusmon’s shoulder. “…Your efforts are useless. I’ll have you know, Horusmon…that my servants have already laid claim to GodPhoenixmon’s oh-so precious gem!” SkullMammothmon held out his trunk, showing a bright orange gemstone.

“No…NO!”

“Hah! You are all fools to think that you could oppose us so easily! Let it be known that you will all be crushed by the Fourteen Generals once they awaken!” SkullMammothmon roared triumphantly. Bukamon and Tsunomon jumped out of my arms and Digivolved into their Mega forms, Plesiomon and Craniamon, but before they could attack, a giant sandstorm surrounded the Desert Army; in a matter of seconds, the entire army had vanished from sight.

“No…how…how could this…happen?!” Horusmon tried to force himself to stand, but fell to the ground.

“Hey, hold on, buddy! We need to treat that wound!” SkullMeramon said, rushing to the Ancient God’s side.

“…What…is going to happen to us now?” Horusmon whispered. “With that gemstone in hand…IceDevimon…grows ever stronger…”

Amiri​

The white gemstone of the Tower of Progression rested in the palm of my hand. Before me stood the tower itself. The moment I saw Craniamon flee with the others, I knew that my time had come. I had been waiting for days, and finally, all that time spent was coming to fruition. I approached the army of Vademon, and was met with the curious gazes of the curiouser Digimon.

“I have that which you seek!” I proclaimed boldly, holding out my arm, and the white gem. A single Vademon, one taller than the others around him and colored red, approached me.

“Human, you stand before Colonel Vademon of the Spatial Army,” Vademon said. “You…are willingly relinquishing the gem of the Tower of Progression?”

“Look, my former ally’s magic is keeping you guys from getting in, right?” I asked. The Vademon all nodded, and spoke amongst themselves. “Well, I’m a former guardian of the Tower. Before I left, I was able to nab this little beauty. I knew you would all need it.”

“That is…correct…but how do we know this is not a trick?” Vademon asked. “You say you were once a guardian; how do we know that we can trust you?”

“Please; do you know who you’re talking to?” I asked. Vademon fell silent. “You stand before Colonel Amiri of the Dragon Army.” My proclamation was met with several gasps among the Vademon, and a look of surprise from the tall, red one. “Now, as one Colonel to another, I do hope you’ll accept this gem as a token of goodwill between our armies…as well as our masters. The Savage Tempest…”

“…And the Earl of Spatial Collapse,” Vademon murmured. “…Very well. Colonel Amiri, I do humbly accept your gift."

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 214 - A Great Meeting

Flamedramon

5 Days​

Things had gone far more disastrously than I had hoped. Many of the fourteen gemstones had been taken by enemy forces; the only ones that remained were the four Lira had in her possession, as well as the one held by Omnimon, meaning IceDevimon had nine. A very disconcerting thought, especially when I thought about just how powerful the enemy was.

Our separated groups were able to miraculously unite, and even more miraculous was that none of my dear comrades had been killed. Our converged group was much larger than the one I had set out to find the gemstones, which I took to be a good sign. Lucia, Mihiramon, Larraine, Tactimon, Sparrow, Hawkmon, Lloyd, Edmund, Trionfimon, Lilliana, Kamemon, Isole, Sieglinde, Lupinemon, Andromon, Eleanora, Lunamon, Abigail, AeroVeedramon, Bokomon, Neemon, Matthew, Apollomon, Elizabeth, Quetzalmon, Tamiko, Kentaurosmon, Zelda, Statuedramon, Mia, Giselle, Celtinemon, Reapermon, Loralyn, Heather, Wisemon, Alphonse, and Madelyn all stood outside of our guild’s fortress, alert and attentive — even AeroVeedramon and Neemon, known well for their relative apathy. I looked around, and saw Lira conversing with Matthew, Eleanora, and Tamiko.

“…You see, these gemstones have very powerful magic attached to them; so much that it affects anybody who holds them. I need to wrap them in this special cloth in order to remain protected from their magic,” Lira said. The so-called great thief reached into her purse and pulled out a pink gem, holding it in the center of a red handkerchief. “This is the one my parents gave to me when I set out on my journey. Whoever holds it is filled with lust and seduction, and it was the one that Kazemon was after when we first met.”

“I was wondering why a Digimon like that was chasing you,” Eleanora mused. “I never thought she’d be a part of something so big…”

“Yeah; they’ve been hounding me for some time now. And this one…Well, this one was once yours, Matthew.” Lira held out a green gem. “I…I’m sorry I just took it and ran…It was for a good cause, I promise you.”

“I know you did. Don’t worry about it,” Matthew said.

“Anyway, this one fills its holder with fear.”

“…Is that why I used to be afraid of all the girls here?” Matthew asked. “These gemstones can really do something like that?”

“Yup; any fear you may have had back then was amplified whenever you held this gem. When I took it, all those fears left you,” Lira continued.

“I see…Then…I guess I must thank you, for taking this away from me,” Matthew whispered.

“Don’t thank me; I stole it, remember? And speaking of stealing…I got these two from the Cyllene Empire after you killed Barbamon.” Lira held out a brown and a violet gem for the others to see.

“Wait, you were there?!” Eleanora asked. “Jeez, we could’ve used a little extra help while we were there, you know!”

“Don’t feel too bad; I’m not much of a fighter. And anyway, I only got there after you all left. Now, this violet one fills people with arrogance, and it belonged to King Desmond.”

“…My father,” Tamiko whispered.

“Yep…When Eris killed him, she actually took this gem for herself, along with her own, this brown one that fills its holder with gluttony. And let me tell you; I made the mistake of touching that one once, and gained about ten pounds in two days’ time.”

“Is that why Auntie Eris wanted to gain weight so badly?” Tamiko asked.

“I dunno; never met her.” Lira returned the four gemstones to her purse, and looked at the three before her, but mainly at Matthew and Eleanora. “Listen…I really am sorry for what I did to you. I could’ve told you about these gems, but I was worried you wouldn’t believe me…”

“Please, don’t worry about it. Besides, we’re friends now, right?” Eleanora asked, smiling at Lira.

“…Yes. Yes, we are,” Lira said, smiling back at Eleanora. I smiled at the group of four, and turned to my side. Nearby stood Augustus and his group; BanchoLeomon, Karatenmon, and Marissa.

“…Okay, so this army attacked Valencia Castle,” Augustus said, pointing to a map of the entire continent directly at Yew. “And then this one attacked Elphierr…”

“August, it’s going to be impossible to pinpoint their next attack,” Marissa said, half-whining and half-yawning.

“She’s right; the only gems left are the ones held by Omnimon and Miss Elric,” Karatenmon added.

“Yeah, I know, but if we can predict their whereabouts, then maybe we can find and attack them before they get to us,” Augustus said. “We just need to figure out where the other four armies are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are before it’s too late…” At that moment, UlforceVeedramon alighted to the ground, carrying stacks of books.

“Here are the texts you required, sir,” the Exalted Knight said.

“Excellent…Now, if we can find anything about those armies and gemstones…” Augustus buried himself in three books at once, falling silent immediately as he and the others read on.

Damn…I’m glad they all decided to become our allies, I thought. They’re putting everything they have into helping us out…And if they didn’t show up when that GlacierKorikkakumon showed up, who knows what would’ve happened to the guys who stayed behind. And they weren’t the only ones helping our guild; the surviving knights of the five kingdoms were all here now, as were what remained of their leaders. Princess Micaiah was doted on relentlessly by Omnimon, who tried to keep her a bit further away from the rest of the crowd, to the disapproval of Alena, Charlotte, Wikstrom, and Leopardmon.

“I just want you to stay where I can keep you safe,” Omnimon tried to reason.

“But…there’s so many people here! I want to meet all of them, especially if I’m going to be queen someday!” Micaiah protested.

“Just let her do as she pleases; you aren’t exactly the boss of her, you know,” Tsarista Anastasia said, walking up to Omnimon with Gallantmon, Ilora, Garurumon, and a white-furred Mammothmon following after her.

“Excuse me?! Until my lady becomes of appropriate age, I am the current leader of Valencia!” Omnimon snapped.

“Ugh; this is about to turn ugly,” Mammothmon sighed; had he any eyes, I’m certain they’d be rolling.

“Y-Yes…I…I’m glad you were able to survive the invasion, Mammothmon,” Ilora whispered. “I…I’m so very sorry about what happened to Vandrik…”

“Yes…but…he died happy. Knowing that he did his best to protect both you and his kingdom…”

“…I understand how you feel,” Princess Lan Fan said, walking up to Ilora. Accompanying her was Eirika, Magnadramon, Jeanette, Majiramon, Dynasmon, and — to my initial shock — Generalmon, of all Digimon. “My father, the emperor…he died protecting me from the army of MetalGarurumon. If it weren’t for Generalmon here, I…I wouldn’t still be here…”

“Oh…I-I’m very sorry for your loss, m-m-milady,” Ilora said shyly, huddling behind Garurumon.

“You don’t need to hide from me; I won’t bite,” Lan Fan said, trying to laugh a little. “And you don’t need to be so formal, either; my kingdom fell to the Eclipse Army, and barely exists. I’m no princess…”

“Hm; I can see that this day won’t get too much happier than this,” QueenChessmon said, leaning against Examon’s leg. “RookChessmon…I hope you can forgive me. If I were stronger, your brother would be here to mope around with us…”

“Please don’t concern yourself with his fate; as I told you, he died happy,” RookChessmon sighed. “Now, I think that’s enough talk of death. BishopChessmon would’ve thrown a tantrum by now…”

“Aye, that he would,” Examon agreed.

…So many people have already been affected by IceDevimon and his armies. And all of this just happened in one day…one very long day. So many innocent people died…as did many brave warriors who tried to fight against this darkness. Who knows just how many more we’ll lose trying to stop this madness…I sighed, and turned my head to observe Magnamon, standing alone and away from all the others. “…How long are you going to stay isolated?”

“Funny, coming from you. Abigail told me that this was all you did when you first joined Lachesis,” Magnamon said defiantly.

“Well, just as long as you’re still breathing, I won’t bother you,” I said.

“You expected me to just…turn out okay? After everything that happened?!” Magnamon snapped.

“Magnamon, calm d—”

“Flamedramon, my entire kingdom was ravaged by enemy forces; my queen is likely dead; my princess is missing in action; and the woman I loved was killed!” Magnamon exploded. “How do you expect me to simply ‘remain calm?!’”

“Well…to be honest, I don’t. Although, I’d sure like it if you’re able to. We need all the allies we can get, and if you slip into darkness the way Seraphimon did…well, let’s just say you’d be a lot easier to kill than Daemon,” I said bluntly.

“Hmph. Say whatever you want…Just know that it was your decision to leave Princess Nora behind so that the rest of us could save our sorry asses!”

“That decision was Nora’s, and you know it, Magnamon.”

“But…you agreed to it! How could you just leave her behind like that?! She could be dead right now, Flamedramon!” Magnamon exclaimed.

“…It was what she wanted.”

“That isn’t good enough, Flamedramon.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but that is all there is to it. She may not be dead, though; just keep that in mind. You can blame me if you want; if that will make you feel better…but right now, we both have more important things to be doing than wallowing away in self-pity.” Before Magnamon could reply, I turned away, and walked back to the main group, seeing Larraine with SkullMeramon and Meramon.

“So…you’ve accepted Statuedramon as your father,” SkullMeramon said.

“I-I mean…you’re also my father, too, but…I don’t know,” Larraine whispered. “I…I’d say that I have two fathers, but that sounds even more awkward…”

“Don’t worry about it, dear; I know your heart is big enough for the entire world,” SkullMeramon said gently. Further away, I saw Statuedramon, silently gazing at his daughter before turning to walk away. To my right, I caught glimpse of Eveene, Desdemona, and Craniamon, not interacting with any of the others. Everyone else had begun to gather around Apollomon, and I knew by the look in his eyes that he was about to deliver a speech.

He always was a good talker. This outta be good.

“Friends …family…comrades…They are more than just words. The strength they carry — the strength of their meaning — is what binds us all here together on this day. Many of these ties have been broken five days ago, when IceDevimon sent his armies to ravage all of Celicia, and while we may grieve for the loss of our loved ones, know that they would not want us to remain ever in the shadow of despair. They will live on forever more in your hearts.” I glanced over at Magnamon as Apollomon said these words; the Exalted Knight remained still.

“Not to long ago…a dear friend of mine went through the same pain that we all felt on that day. Only, he was unable to control the darkness that was in his heart, and he allowed it to overtake him; with disastrous results. That is why I ask you, my friends and family, to — at least for now — forget any pain and sadness you may feel, and focus on the battle that is to come. IceDevimon is everybody’s enemy. If we do not stop him, then he will only spread more misery all across the world, and by then, it may be too late to defeat him. Our friends may have fallen, but we still have more, keeping us strong, watching each other’s backs, and being there for one another. Though the enemy may number many hundreds more than us, it is through these strengths — these simple words — that we will outwit, outlast, and outright destroy IceDevimon and any evil he has spread across this world! We shall not allow that fiend to do as he pleases! His legacy shall end before the coming year begins! In four months’ time, IceDevimon will fall!” Apollomon’s final words were met with a massive round of applause, roars, and cheers from everyone around; a massive yawn from both AeroVeedramon and Marissa, and the standard look of confusion on Neemon’s dopey face.

“Apollomon…you really are back,” I whispered to myself. “After all these years…the Digimon I looked up to more than anyone…”

“A nice speech, ex-leader of Lachesis! Now let’s see you try to live up to those expectations!” A mysterious voice echoed through the area, and a wave of silence washed over each and every one of us. The ground beneath began to tremor violently.

“…They’ve found us,” I whispered.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 215 - Five Armies

Flamedramon​

“…They’ve found us,” I whispered. “Everyone, prepare for combat!”

“Aw, don’t be like that! We’re only here to talk!” The ground trembled more and more ferociously by the second, and before I knew it, five Digimon had approached us. Each Digimon had his or her own group of Digimon further away and spread out across our encampment, leaving us completely surrounded.

“You…you are the one who laid siege to Castle Valencia!” Omnimon pointed at one of the Digimon, the largest of the five.

“Yes; I am Colonel Merukimon of the Olympus Army, and I am here to retrieved that which I have failed to locate,” the Digimon said. “My allies here seek the gems held by the Princess of Nymphaea; Princess Lira Nymphaea Elric!”

“I am Colonel Petaldramon of the Forest Army,” a massive, lizard-like Digimon said, staring down at Lira. Behind him were countless Cherrymon.

“I am Devidramon; representative of the Dragon Army!” a black dragon roared, alighting to the ground.

“I am called Knightmon; I come as a representative of the Warrior Army,” another Digimon said, speaking in a more formal and polite tone than his allies.

“And last but not least, I’m Colonel Mervamon of the Exquisite Army — obviously!” the smallest of the five Digimon, a Digimon of near-Human height, exclaimed.

“…Exquisite Army? You…you’re the one who brainwashed Lady Nora into killing Nagimon’s family!” Magnamon exclaimed.

“Oh; you mean the former Colonel Gorgonmon? Yeah, that little traitor didn’t have the guts to be with the rest of us!” Mervamon said spitefully.

“Where is she?! Where is Princess Nora?!” Magnamon screamed.

“Take it easy; I have no idea. It was the Thunder Army that went to Elphierr, not mine. You’ll have to ask MegaKabuterimon,” Mervamon shrugged.

“And where can I find him?!”

“Dunno. We’re allies, but we’re not THAT close.”

“Tell me where the princess is—!”

“Magnamon; calm down!” I exclaimed.

“Like hell I am! They know where she is; and I won’t let them get away until they tell me! Magna Blast!” Magnamon fired beams of light from his golden armor at Mervamon, barely missing the Digimon.

“Hey; watch it! You almost burned this beautiful skin of mine!” Mervamon yelped.

“Oh, I’ll do much worse than burn you; Magna Blast!”

“Crimson Claw!” Before Magnamon could attack, two Devidramon swooped in and tackled him to the ground and pinned him down.

“Comrades; the time is upon us! Divide them all and claim their lives along with their gems!” Merukimon bellowed. “Thousand Fists!”

“Supreme Cannon!” The attacks of Merukimon and Omnimon collided, sending powerful shockwaves in every direction. Armies of Knightmon, Cherrymon, Devidramon, Tekkamon, Cerberusmon, and Grademon were beginning to move, while a single Kazemon flew directly at Lira.

“Hey there; remember me?!”

“You…you’re the same one who chased me here!” Lira shouted, nimbly dodging each of the Fairy Digimon’s punches and kicks.

“The one and only! Except this time, I’ll get what I came here for!”

“Arrow of Artemis!” An arrow of ice flew through the air, tearing through one of Kazemon’s wings. Enraged, the Fairy Digimon turned around to face Dianamon and Eleanora.

“You’re gonna PAY for that!” she snarled.

Damn it; there are so many enemies everywhere, I can’t see straight! I whipped around and fired a stream of flames clear through a Devidramon’s chest, instantly killing it. Immediately, five more took its place. Jeez; if they were weaker, I could’ve taken out at least two or three in that one attack! If this keeps up, we’ll all be surrounded in no time! What’re we going to do now?! Damn it all…

“INCOMING!” Before I could react, a massive four-legged dragon soared down from the sky and landed on the ground, crushing several enemy forces beneath its gargantuan frame. The enemy seemed as confused and surprised by this newcomer as me and my friends were, but I was still unsure of what to think. “Positron Laser!” On the dragon’s back, a mighty cannon fired dozens of beams of pure light energy, with each laser striking all of the armies of Digimon; each Digimon that was hit immediately disintegrated.

“Such power…We must retreat for now. This isn’t over, warriors of Lachesis!” Merukimon snarled, disappearing into his shadow alongside Petaldramon, Knightmon, Devidramon, and Mervamon, along with a small number of their remaining troops. The massive dragon looked down at us as the last traces of the shadow vanished without a trace.

“…I thank you for your assistance, sir,” I said nervously. The dragon bowed its giant head modestly.

“I am simply glad we arrived in time. My name is Imperialdramon, o great warriors,” the Digimon said reverently. On Imperialdramon’s back, I saw another Digimon slide off, landing on the ground next to us. Standing about as tall as Omnimon, which in turn was halfway up the four-legged dragon’s arm, he was clad in pitch-black armor. “This is my dear friend, Alphamon.”

“Salutations, revered warriors,” the heavily armored Digimon said, bowing down before us. “The two of us have heard much about the feats of the mercenary guild Lachesis. What you have done; your strength; the powerful evils you have felled, all while working together…it is all legendary.”

“Oh…well, we all do our best,” Sparrow said in the most falsely-modest voice I had ever heard in my life.

“Now…who might the guild’s leader be?” Imperialdramon asked.

“I am,” Apollomon and I said at the same time; the two of us glanced at each other.

“…I offered to let you take over when you and Dianamon killed ShadowSeraphimon. Did you change your mind?” I asked.

“Nah; that was just an old habit,” Apollomon chuckled. “The guild’s all yours, Flamedramon. You’re a much better leader than I ever was.” I was about to protest when Imperialdramon roared and ear-splitting screech that shook the earth. The Digimon became enveloped in a bright light, and began to shrink.

“…Apologies for the unexpected roar; I’ve simply changed into my true form,” Imperialdramon said. No longer resembling a dragon, Imperialdramon stood at equal height with Alphamon, and brandished a mighty blade and pure white armor. “I have Mode Changed into my Paladin Mode. Now then, Master Flamedramon; there is something that we must discuss with you.”

“Yeah? What’s wrong?” I asked. “Don’t tell me IceDevimon’s done something else now…”

“No, he has remained silent for quite some time; while this in itself is disconcerting, there is another problem we need looked into. That’s where you and your friends come in,” Alphamon said. “…Actually, there are two problems. One is a man named Dayan; a created man who is able to absorb the powers of Digimon that he slays.”

“…H-Him? He…He’s the one who tried to kill Deckerdramon,” Loralyn whispered.

“Yes; there have been sightings of him all throughout Valencia Territory, and he seems to be targeting you, Omnimon,” Alphamon continued.

“Hmph; waste of time. The Human maggot won’t stand a chance,” Omnimon said. “What’s the real problem?”

“The other…is a man named Saïf. We believe him to be from a kingdom of eternal darkness,” Imperialdramon said cryptically.

“…A kingdom of…darkness?” Zelda whispered. “This man; is he a swordsman?”

“Yes, and one of the most dangerous; apparently, only another sword wielder is able to stop him, and so Saïf travels the continent to defeat — and kill — every other swordfighter there is,” Imperialdramon said.

“…I…I’ve fought him before,” Zelda whispered.

“Yes, I remember; it was in Shendu, if I recall correctly,” Dynasmon added. “But, where exactly is this kingdom of darkness? I’ve only heard rumors here and there myself…”

“Denizens of the realm of darkness…are unaccustomed to this world of light we all have been born unto,” Imperialdramon explained. “This land of darkness is different from the Dark Area, the world of nothingness, as well as our own, the world of light. Rather, it is a realm that seems to sit in-between this world and the Dark Area, coexisting with the other two worlds. Those beings who come from this world of darkness take on a phantom existence, if you will. Saïf is no different. He has faced numerous deaths throughout his life…but retains not a single memory. He fights on so that he will no longer die, and finally have memories…His is a sad existence, but a threatening one. I challenged him myself a few weeks ago, and would have been defeated had Alphamon not arrived to help me. We were able to drive him away, but he lives still…”

“…How do you know so much about that man, or his kingdom?” I asked.

“I’m — er, that is, we have read about them,” Imperialdramon said.

…That’s weird. It sounded like he was going to say something else…He’s hiding something from us for certain…I don’t trust this guy.

“So, you’d like our help in defeating these two men?” Apollomon asked.

“Yes…if it is not too much of a burden for you, then we could most definitely use the assistance of Lachesis,” Alphamon said. “Although…”

“…Is there something wrong?” I asked.

“The two of us have researched heavily upon the demise of Lilithmon and the Order of the Enchantress, you see,” Alphamon said. “With all of these armies working for IceDevimon, not to mention Saïf and Dayan, I feel like…we need the strength of the Celestial Vanguard.”

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 216 - An Assault on Two Fronts

Flamedramon​

“The two of us have researched heavily upon the demise of Lilithmon and the Order of the Enchantress, you see,” Alphamon said. “With all of these armies working for IceDevimon, not to mention Saïf and Dayan, I feel like…we need the strength of the Celestial Vanguard.” Apollomon and Omnimon both gasped.

“…You do realize that many in the Vanguard have been killed, do you not?” Apollomon asked.

“Yes, I am aware; Neptunemon was killed by Belphemon; Seraphimon became Daemon and was killed by your guild; SlashAngemon has fallen years ago…”

“Not to mention the fact that many of us have scattered to the furthest corners of the world,” Omnimon added. “Crusadermon, Beowulfmon, EmperorGreymon, MetalGarurumon, Susanoomon, and MirageGaogamon haven’t been heard from in countless years. We don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

“That may be, but the three of you are here,” Imperialdramon offered, looking at me, Apollomon, and Omnimon.

“I’m just a reincarnation of the old Flamedramon, though; I’m not actually him,” I said.

“I don’t mind joining, but even if we were to reform the Celestial Vanguard, we’d need to find a lot more Digimon who’d be willing to help us,” Apollomon said.

“Well, as I mentioned earlier, Dayan has been sighted in Valencia, just on the outskirts of Yew. If he’s attempting to hunt for Omnimon, then can it not be assumed that he would be hunting the other members of the Vanguard?” Imperialdramon asked. “If that is the case…if we can find Dayan, then we may be able to find the other members of the Vanguard, and hopefully help them if it isn’t too late.”

…Hm…Something about this…it just doesn’t quite feel…right, I thought. He does bring up a good point, though; those powerful enemies will need to be countered with a force equal to their own in order for us to succeed, and a group like the Celestial Vanguard might be the only way to do that…

“If there’s fourteen of their armies, then let’s remake the Vanguard with fourteen, rather than twelve,” Apollomon suggested.

“Ah, what an excellent suggestion,” Imperialdramon said in a calm voice.

…No. I…I don’t think I trust him. Not yet, at least…I hope Apollomon decides to show at least a little caution from here on.

“We should worry about the details later; for now, we need to deal with Dayan and Saïf,” Alphamon said. “The two of us are going ahead to Valencia and search for Dayan. Any of you who would like to accompany us are welcome to do so.”

“Wait—” Without another word, Alphamon hopped onto Imperialdramon’s back, and the two Digimon flew off in the blink of an eye.

“…We’ll join you soon,” Apollomon whispered gently.

“Hey…Apollomon, before we head out, I need to speak with you,” I said, motioning him away from the others, and into the forest surrounding our fortress.

“Is there something wrong?” Apollomon asked.

“I think you’re trusting Imperialdramon a bit too easily,” I whispered.

“…I had a feeling you’d be thinking something along those lines, old friend. Well? Do you have any proof to confirm your suspicions?”

“I…don’t, but…”

“Then don’t worry about it. I know you still aren’t fully able to trust everyone you meet because of your past — to be honest, I think that’s part of why you’re a better leader than I am; I trust people too easily, as Dianamon would say. But I do trust them.”

“Well, I may not have a reason to distrust them, really…but do you have a reason to trust them so readily?” I asked. Apollomon smiled.

“Yes…They remind me of a few old acquaintances of ours,” he said softly.

“Who?”

“Who else? They remind me of Saias and Lector.”

“…Those two…I haven’t thought about them in years,” I said wistfully. “…Yeah…I can understand your feelings, Apollomon. And I’m glad that you understand mine.”

“Of course. I will exude more caution when we are with them.” I smiled at my former boss, and the two of us shook hands. It was decided that he and I would go to Yew along with Augustus, Marissa, Karatenmon, BanchoLeomon, UlforceVeedramon, Sparrow, Hawkmon, Lilliana, Kamemon, Lucia, Mihiramon, Dianamon, and Statuedramon.

~~~~

In fifteen minutes’ time, our group had made it to the Valencian capital. For the most part, the city seemed surprisingly fine, despite the invasion that happened only a few days ago. However, as we drew closer and closer to the castle, more and more destruction from Merukimon’s army was nearly impossible to miss seeing. The castle itself was in ruins; countless bodies of soldiers lay beneath the rubble in pools of their own blood. Lilliana stood close to Augustus, with the ex-knight holding the young girl’s small hand in his as they walked through the ruined town. I looked up, noticing Imperialdramon circling around the sky.

“Ah I’m glad you were able to join us!” Alphamon said, trudging up to our group through the rubble.

“Yes; we decided to send a small portion of our group for better mobility,” I said. And, because I still don’t fully trust you two, I desperately wanted to say. But, I remembered Apollomon’s words; I even considered the possibility that they were allies. I knew this was very likely the case, but years of abuse in my youth prevented me from fully believing it.

“I understand; and I see you’ve a talented swordsman among you,” Alphamon said, looking directly at Augustus Maxwell. “Should Saïf show himself, we may yet prove victorious.”

“You flatter me, good sir; but if I may improve our chances of victory, I will gladly do anything necessary,” Augustus replied.

“I am pleased to hear you say that…”

“ALPHAMON! BEHIND YOU!” Alphamon whipped around just as Imperialdramon called his name. Alphamon raised his hands to block an immense blast of flames. When the smoke cleared, a lone man stood facing the Exalted Knight; bald, and wearing a black trench coat.

“…Dayan, I presume?” Alphamon asked.

“Ah, you were expecting me, eh? Glad to hear it, Alphamon,” the man said. “I came here looking for Omnimon, if I may be quite honest, but I’ve been thinking of looking for you and your pal up there,” Dayan pointed up at Imperialdramon. “You may not have been a part of the Celestial Vanguard, but your power is just as legendary, you know.”

“So we’ve been told; we are challenged frequently, but rarely by so…strange an opponent,” Alphamon said.

“And after all those battles, the only ones left standing were the two of you. Impressive, really,” Dayan said, ignoring Alphamon’s comment. “What I wouldn’t do to get ahold of strength like that…”

“…You really are a strange one,” Alphamon repeated. “A man created in a lab who can use the powers of the Digimon he slays…”

“Please; that’s quite enough about me, good sir. Let’s focus on you,” Dayan said. “You aren’t as powerful as your friend, Imperialdramon, yet it is only with your strength that I could defeat him and claim his power for my own.”

“That’s only IF you are able to defeat me. In case you forget what you have just told me, I have the experience of a thousand battles behind my strength. Even with all of your powers, you’ve no hope of defeating me!” Alphamon said. “Soul Digitalization!”

“Shine Breaker!” Two giant blasts of light clashed, with neither giving its opponent an inch.

“No way…that was the attack that Aegisdramon used!” Sparrow exclaimed. “Does that mean…did this guy kill the Valencian Prince?!”

“I’m sure he’s killed many people,” I said. “I heard he even destroyed his creator and another of her creations…”

“Then that’s all the more reason we cannot allow him to succeed! Come, my friends!” Augustus hollered. Marissa Bio Hybrid Digivolved into BioNymphmon, and Karatenmon Digivolved into Zhuqiaomon. They, together with UlforceVeedramon and BanchoLeomon, began attacking Dayan, but each of their attacks was blocked easily by the man and Aegisdramon’s stolen attack. “Come forth, Premenitmon!”

“Arrow Lance!” Before Augustus could summon any Spirit Digimon, Dayan fired a single arrow and pierced the man’s left wrist.

“No! Augustus, are you okay?!” I exclaimed as the man fell to a knee, clutching his bleeding arm in pain.

“I…I’ll be fine…I—”

“Stand back; we can handle this,” I said, trying to sound calmer than I likely was. I looked over at Sparrow and Lilliana, who readied their Digimon partners. Hawkmon Armor Digivolved into Shurimon, Mihiramon Digivolved into Baihumon, and Kamemon became Shawjamon. Statuedramon Warp Digivolved into Seiyaryumon, and together with Dianamon, he took to the sky with Imperialdramon.

“…You’re all a bunch of fools. You can’t possibly defeat me with the power I’ve received!” Dayan said. “Frozen Hunter!” Apollomon gasped.

“F…Frozen Hunter…? That attack…”

“Apollomon, what’s wrong?!” I asked.

“…That was an attack of Beowulfmon,” Apollomon said. “One of the Celestial Vanguard…” A pure white wolf rose up from Dayan’s body, and collided with Alphamon, knocking the Exalted Knight to the ground.

“Pyro Dragons!” From under his feet, several flaming dragons arose from the earth and struck down Imperialdramon, Dianamon, Baihumon, and Seiyaryumon.

“No…EmperorGreymon, too?!” Apollomon exclaimed. “This cannot be…”

“Ice Wolf Claw!” Dayan unleased a powerful blast of ice from his hand at BioNymphmon, knocking her to the ground and turning her back into her Human form, with her Digimon form’s data heading directly for Dayan. “Yes…more power!!! HAHAHA!”

“And now, MetalGarurumon?! Has he truly slain all of the Celestial Vanguard?!” Apollomon asked.

“Don’t…don’t say that!” Dianamon whispered, using her weapon to help her back up to her feet. “My mother…she’s still alive…There’s no way this monster could’ve defeated her…”

…Crusadermon…I looked up, and saw Shurimon and Shawjamon begin their assault on Dayan.

“Double Crescent Mirage!” Dayan waved his arm and fired blades of energy at the two opposing Digimon, turning them both back into their Rookie forms.

“No…I…I can’t allow myself to lose to you again…!” Hawkmon grunted, trying to stand back up.

“Hawkmon, stay down!” Apollomon roared. “You…must stay down. I won’t let anyone else die to this madman!”

“If that’s the case, then try to stop me! Earth Ravager!” Dark flames rained down from the sky, striking down Zhuqiaomon and UlforceVeedramon. “Hah! All of you have fallen so easily; it makes me wonder why I desired your powers so badly in the first place! But as long as I’m here, I may as well finish the job!”

“Unbelievable…attacks from both Behemothmon…and MirageGaogamon…Just how strong…is this man?” Apollomon asked.

“Heaven’s Thunder—!”

“FIST OF ATHENA!” A magenta streak in the sky soared downwards, colliding into Dayan like a meteor. The ground beneath him shattered, and an explosion of dust hid him from sight.

“What…? What just happened?” I asked.

“So sorry to give you two a scare; Flamedramon, Apollomon…but it’s been far too long since I’ve seen either of you!”

“Th-That voice…It can’t be,” Dianamon stammered.

“Who’s there?!” I asked.

“Oh, Flamedramon; don’t tell me you forgot about me over the years! Really; I’m hurt!” the voice said, pretending to sound insulted in a playful manner. As the dust began to clear, I saw a figure clad in pink armor stand over Dayan’s unconscious body.

“…It…It’s really you,” Dianamon said, beginning to tear up. “M-Mother…”

Zelda Kasuto​

As Flamedramon and the others were gone, the rest of us remained in a disquieting silence, unsure of what to think. I was certain that Flamedramon didn’t trust either Alphamon or Imperialdramon, but I knew that was the least of our problems. With dangerous enemies like Saïf and Dayan running around, not to mention the fourteen armies, their masters, and IceDevimon, it was difficult to see ourselves as being safe. Matthew and Eleanora both remained at my side, obviously worried about their Digimon partners, not to mention Sparrow and Lilliana, and everyone also who went with Flamedramon. The fear-born knot in my stomach turned into a nauseating lump. I kept telling Matthew and Eleanora that it would be okay, but convincing myself of the same thing would be another matter entirely. In the distance, I could hear a few of the others speaking amongst themselves every now and again, apparently trying to do the same.

I hope they fare better than I…

“…Zelda.” Dynasmon’s voice nearly made me jump. “Zelda…I sense something.”

“What’s wrong, Dynasmon?” I asked.

“Someone is approaching us…someone powerful,” Dynasmon said. His voice was filled with apprehension.

“Is it…one of our friends?” I asked hopefully. A stupid question, I knew, but one I could not help but ask. Dynasmon shook his head.

“No…I sense an overwhelming malice. Zelda…I think—”

“And here on this day lay clustered an assortment of powerful warriors. But only those who dedicate themselves to the path of the sword may ultimately eliminate me…so eliminate you first, I must.” Everyone began looking around, searching for the new voice.

“…Saïf has found us,” Dynasmon whispered, looking at the roof of the Lachesis fortress. There stood the man I had thought I’d never see again. There stood the first person I had ever intentionally harmed. There stood the first person I ever raised a weapon against. There stood Saïf.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 217 - Four Sovereigns

Statuedramon​

“…It…It’s really you,” Dianamon said, beginning to tear up. “M-Mother…” Dianamon began to slowly approach the newcomer, but stopped as Crusadermon approached Apollomon and me.

“So! You two have hardly changed at all since the old days!” Crusadermon laughed.

“Er…Hardly, milady; I myself died a few hundred years ago, and I have only just recently recovered most of my memories,” Apollomon said.

“Oh, I see; that’s too bad,” Crusadermon said, before glancing at me.

“M-Mother?” Dianamon whispered. Crusadermon, however, didn’t seem to notice.

“…It’s a complicated story,” Flamedramon muttered. “I’m not the same Flamedramon you knew, but his spirit lives on within me, or something like that…”

“Oh, so you really don’t remember me,” Crusadermon said dejectedly. “That’s too bad; we were close friends, almost as much as Coronamon was with my little girl…Where is she, anyway? Is she still a little light of your life, Apollomon? Did you two ever get married? How has she been—?”

“MOTHER, I’M RIGHT BEHIND YOU!” Dianamon shouted. Slowly, Crusadermon turned around to face the other Mega Digimon.

“Oh…Moonmon, is that really you? My, how you’ve grown up!” Crusadermon laughed, patting Dianamon on the head.

“Wha…? After all this time, that’s all you have to say?!” Dianamon asked. “Where have you been?!”

“Oh, well, after I defeated Lucemon, I suppose I just got a little bit bored,” Crusadermon sighed. “Time does tend to drag on when you aren’t trying to save the world from a psychopathic murderer with a god complex, after all…I wanted to have a little bit of fun, you know?”

“S…SERIOUSLY?! After all that time I spent worrying about you…After all those years I was looking for you…All that time…you…were just PLAYING?!” Dianamon screamed.

“Only in the loosest sense of the word, my dear. I spent my fair share of time killing insurgents too, you know.”

“I…I don’t believe this…I was actually worried about you. But here you are, telling me that…that…”

“Moonmon…You’ve grown to be such a kind and compassionate woman. It makes me such a proud mother to have such a beautiful and caring daughter,” Crusadermon said gently.

“Mother…”

“Ahh, that felt good to say! Now that all the mushy stuff is out of the way, let’s get on to more exciting things!” Crusadermon exclaimed. Rage and overall disappointment flashed in Dianamon’s eyes, but she said nothing, turning away from Crusadermon.

“…Miss Crusadermon, you should come with us,” I said. I looked down at the ground, at the unconscious body of Dayan. “We should head back to Lachesis. Let’s regroup; we need to find a better way to deal with this man.”

“Oh? What’s Lachesis?” Crusadermon asked.

“It’s a mercenary guild I formed about five-hundred years ago,” Apollomon said. “I formed it mainly to fight off bandits, but it seems that fate has more important things in store for us…”

“Well, that sounds fun! Count me in!” Crusadermon said. Dianamon rolled her eyes, and remained silent.

“…I think you’re forgetting about someone…” I glanced back at the crater Crusadermon had made, and found it to be empty. “As I am now…you could send a thousand armies, and I’ll crush them all!” I looked up, and saw Dayan hovering in the air above us.

No…this isn’t good! We’re running out of options; at this rate, I might have to…

“Heaven’s Thunder!” Massive bolts of lightning dropped down from the sky, striking Apollomon, Flamedramon, Alphamon, and Imperialdramon. Another bolt was aimed at Dianamon, but Crusadermon shoved her out of the way at the last second, taking the hit instead of her daughter.

“…Damn it. Zhuqiaomon! Baihumon! Get up!” I hollered. The two fallen Digimon began to stir at my words, and at the same time, I enveloped myself in a blue light, Digivolving into Azulongmon. “ATTACK!”

“Celestial Blade!” Dayan formed a massive blade in his hands, and aimed it directly at me. One swipe, and I knew the man could easily lop off my head, which he was positioned to do.

“Azulongmon, watch out!!!” With Dayan’s sword inches away from my, Zhuqiaomon tackled me to the ground. I looked up in time to see the Celestial Blade pierce Zhuqiaomon’s chest.

“ZHUQIAOMON!” Blood and flames erupted from Zhuqiaomon’s open chest, and the massive Sovereign hit the ground with a mighty crash. “No…no, this can’t be happening…”

“Karatenmon…” Augustus and Marissa both stared at their fallen comrade, watching as he reverted to his Ultimate level.

“…Ah…I…apologize…I…couldn’t do more to help you,” Karatenmon said, gasping for breath. “But there is…one last thing…” Karatenmon reached into his chest, and pulled out the red DigiCore of Zhuqiaomon I had given him quite recently. “This…belongs to you…Take it.” Mustering all of his energy, Karatenmon tossed the DigiCore to Hawkmon. “Hawkmon…take my place. You, all along…were meant to be the true successor to Zhuqiaomon’s mighty blaze. Yes…that is what this core tells me. Take this and win…” Karatenmon closed his eyes one final time, and vanished from sight; his data, as well as Zhuqiaomon’s, went straight to Dayan.

“…I…I don’t believe it,” Augustus whispered. “Karatenmon…has fallen…”

“And he won’t be the last!” Dayan hollered. “I’ll see to it that each of you dies by my hand! Blazing Helix!” Dayan readied a spiraling flame at all of us, but before he could attack, Hawkmon flew up into the flames and absorbed them.

“You…will not claim another life!” he exclaimed. “Hawkmon Warp Digivolve to, Zhuqiaomon!” Once more, the blazing wings of Zhuqiaomon filled the sky. Baihumon and I rose up alongside him.

“Wait…in order to defeat this monster…we will need the might of all four Sovereigns,” I said. I held out the fourth and final DigiCore I had been given by Baez, pure emerald, and looked down at all those around me, and made my decision. “…Kamemon. Will you join us?”

“I’m ready,” the small Digimon said in an even yet serious voice. I lowered myself to the ground, and presented Kamemon with my last DigiCore, and at once, he became enveloped in a green light. “Kamemon Warp Digivolve to, Ebonwumon!”

“…At long last…all four of the Digimon Sovereigns stand once more…” I looked at my three comrades. Hawkmon, Kamemon, and Mihiramon all stood in the forms of my friends from long, long ago. “My friends…let us eradicate this evil once and for all, so that it will threaten us no longer. Aurora Force!”

“Blazing Helix!”

“Kongou!”

“Double-Dragon Wave!” The forces of our attacks enveloped Dayan in a blinding light. I could faintly hear him scream, but when our attacks ended, he was nowhere to be seen.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 218 - The Royal Knights

Zelda Kasuto​

Saïf stood triumphant above us all; somehow, he had managed to defeat each and every one of us. The grass beneath was stained with puddles of blood, but from what I could see, nobody had been killed…yet.

“…You lot are all pathetic,” Saïf said, returning his blades to their sheaths.

“Saïf…you don’t…remember any of your past lives…do you?” I asked. Saïf looked down at me.

“I…had past lives? I do not remember,” he said. “All I know…is that I must keep fighting if I am to be. That is all…” I looked up at his shoulder; I saw the scar I had made with Thomas’s sword many years ago. “Did we meet? I don’t remember…”

“We met. And I defeated you.”

“…This, I do not believe. From your actions today…you are too weak,” Saïf said. “But I do not remember. Was I weak back then? I do not remember…All I know is that only a sword can kill me. And you sword wielders here…you are too weak to defeat me. You cannot send me back to the darkness. I will not go back to the darkness.”

“No…I can defeat you,” Eleanora said. “If I had my sword, I could…defeat you, but I…”

“SILENCE!” Saïf slammed his foot down on Eleanora’s stomach, pinning her to the ground. “You are weak! I see it…in your eyes. Weak! All of you; WEAK!”

“Get…off of her!” Matthew shouted, forcing himself to stand despite his wounds. Saïf struck him in the face, knocking him back to the ground.

No…what can I do? I have to do something…but all of my Spirits were defeated by him so easily! There’s nothing that I can…

“You shall be the first to die, infidel!” Saïf reached for one of his swords, and pointed it at Matthew.

“M-Matthew; run!” Eleanora exclaimed, trying to get up, but Saïf only shoved his foot deeper into her belly. “Matthew…”

“Tekken Seisai!” Out of nowhere, a surge of flames erupted, knocking Saïf to the ground. Another Digimon, one with a humanoid form, stood above him; one I had never seen before.

“W-Who are you?!” Saïf asked.

“…Your executioner.” The Digimon’s fists became engulfed in flames and he aimed a punch at Saïf’s head, but the swordsman moved out of the way just in time. “You, who have invaded my home and threatened my comrades…you will pay the price with your life!”

Comrades…? Who…? Wait, I know that voice! Could it be…?! “…BlackGaomon, is that you?” I asked. The new Digimon smirked.

“They call me Gankoomon now,” the Digimon said. Saïf swung one of his blades, but it was caught by Gankoomon with ease.

“H-How is this possible?! A Digimon with this much strength?! Your power should be drained!” Saïf exclaimed.

“This coming from a man who shouldn’t still be drawing breath?! For what you have done on this day, I shall annihilate you! Tekken Seisai!” Gankoomon aimed a punch directly at Saïf’s chest, and a large burst of flames erupted through his back, taking the form of a sword as they did.

“W-What?! No…how did…you…?”

“I have been training for the past five-hundred years, monster. Do not expect me to go down so easily,” Gankoomon said. Saïf fell to the ground, and began to fade away as the Digimon Spirits do. “By the purity of my flames, may you never again walk this earth.”

“BlackGaomon…” Gankoomon turned to face me once again. Smiling, he turned back into the Rookie level Digimon I had known for so long.

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long,” he said, walking up to me. “Pheragas’s death; it just kinda…got to me, you know…?”

“It’s okay…I understand,” I whispered, gently scratching the Digimon behind his furry ears. “I’m just glad you finally returned, safe and sound…and not a moment too late, either…”

“Yes, I can see that; did that one man really do so much damage?” BlackGaomon asked, looking around.

“See for yourself; we’re lucky nobody died,” I whispered. “At least Saïf is gone now…Thank you, BlackGaomon.”

“Don’t mention it.”

~~~

With Edmund’s help, everyone’s wounds gradually began to heal. It was at this point that the others returned from Yew; everyone but Karatenmon had come back, but their group included a new Digimon. To my immense relief, Dayan was also killed, leaving us with one less huge problem.

“…And the remainder of the Celestial Vanguard was indeed killed by Dayan,” Apollomon whispered sadly. “While this severely hurts our chances of defeating IceDevimon and his fourteen armies, we cannot allow it to deter us from our mission. However, as Imperialdramon earlier suggested, I believe forming a group of fourteen — equal to their own — in order to fully counter them may be our best course of action.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t want any part of it,” Flamedramon muttered. “I don’t want to be tied to any other group; I’m not a people person.”

“Well, you are indeed powerful, Flamedramon, but we will honor your wishes,” Imperialdramon said. “After observing everyone here and getting a sense of how powerful you all are, not to mention how you all interact with one another, I believe I have come up with a group powerful enough to stand up to IceDevimon.”

“Why does he get to pick the group?” Statuedramon muttered.

“Well, he’s been around for a while; he’s sure to know a lot of different techniques and strategies that even Isole may not have heard of,” I said.

“Now, before I begin, I would like to make it clear that I am not trying to force anything upon anyone; if you don’t want to be a part of this group, then please, speak up,” Imperialdramon said, looking directly at Flamedramon. “Now, then…from the original Celestial Vanguard, Omnimon.”

“Oh, yay! Good for you, Mr. Omnimon!” Princess Micaiah exclaimed, hugging the Exalted Knight’s arm.

“…I don’t like this…but if it makes you this happy, my dear, then I won’t object,” Omnimon whispered.

“Also from the Celestial Vanguard; Crusadermon,” Imperialdramon continued.

“My goodness; chosen for another group? Let’s have as much fun as we can, Omnimon!” Crusadermon exclaimed. I saw Lunamon glance at the pink-armored Digimon with an odd mix of disdain and admiration.

“Following her, we have UlforceVeedramon…”

“…Me? A dissident like me was chosen for this?” the Exalted Knight asked.

“Heh; I put in a good word for you earlier,” Kentaurosmon said.

“Which is just as well, as UlforceVeedramon did the same for you; Kentaurosmon, you’re also in the group,” Imperialdramon said.

“…Oh. Is that so…?”

“No need to be embarrassed; I was there with him,” Tamiko said.

“…Leopardmon.”

“Oh! Omni AND Leppy were chosen? I’m so happy for you two!” Micaiah exclaimed, running from Omnimon to Leopardmon. “You two are the strongest Digimon I know; I’m sure you’ll both be just fine!”

“…All in your name, My Lady,” Leopardmon whispered reverently.

“…Gankoomon.”

“Excellent,” BlackGaomon said, cracking his clove-covered fingers. “In Pheragas’s memory, I shall give it my all!”

“…Examon.”

“I can think of none stronger,” QueenChessmon said. Next to her, RookChessmon nodded his large head.

“…Magnamon.”

“…Hmph. Whatever…” Magnamon stood off to the side, leaning against the fortress with his arms crossed.

“…Craniamon.”

“…Jarod…Please, watch over me…” The large Digimon placed a hand over his heard, and bowed his head reverently.

“Dynasmon…and lastly, Gallantmon.”

“Hm. The two of us; together once more,” Gallantmon said.

“Indeed; I am unsurprised that you were chosen, my old comrade,” Dynasmon nodded. “Let us both do our best for Zelda.”

“You guys…” I looked up at the two Exalted Knights, smiling.

“Hey! Why wasn’t I chosen?!” Sparrow exclaimed.

“Well…Um; we were choosing from the Digimon,” Imperialdramon said nervously. “S-Sorry…?”

“Hey! Why wasn’t I chosen?” Neemon asked.

“Neemon, I swear to Arcadia…” Bokomon sighed.

“Ladies and gentlemen…I present to you…the Royal Knights,” Imperialdramon said. It was at that moment that we were all enveloped by a blinding light.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 219 - The Darkness Within

Flamedramon​

“Ladies and gentlemen…I present to you…the Royal Knights,” Imperialdramon said, rising up into the sky with Alphamon. “The Royal Knights…the gathering of the most powerful Digimon on Arcadia! You were gathered here on this day…to eliminate the darkness of IceDevimon! And while the flames of war may once more spread across this continent once more, the Royal Knights shall reign victorious!”

…The flames of war, huh…I guess I, of all people, shouldn’t be disturbed by this, but still…

“IceDevimon…will be expecting only our best. We shall give him our best! We shall destroy him! We shall eliminate all evil that threatens our world!” Imperialdramon raised his massive sword skyward, as if to skewer the very sun itself. It was at that moment that we were all enveloped by a blinding light. I forced myself to look through it, and saw Imperialdramon’s hands trembling. Alphamon turned to face him, looking neither worried nor surprised. At once, Imperialdramon’s pure white armor began to turn pitch-black, and he dropped his sword. We all watched as it landed blade-first in the ground. I tried to move, but the shining light had me immobilized, and from what I could see, it was the same with the others. Imperialdramon crashed to the ground on his knees, clutching his head, while Alphamon gently alighted next to him.

“I-Imperialdramon!” I forced myself to walk towards the two, but was met with the tip of a blade pressed against the front of my throat; a blade held by Alphamon. “Alphamon, what are you doing—?!”

“…It is Lord Imperialdramon’s will…that the ice of the devil covers this land,” Alphamon said.

“No…What’s going on, damn you?!” I shouted. Alphamon retracted his blade and looked down at the still-struggling Imperialdramon.

“…I will follow my master’s will to this world’s end, and go down any path that he may choose…or is forced into,” Alphamon said. “Imperialdramon was born an honest hero, like he was when you met him. But IceDevimon found him…and inserted a portion of his soul into that of my friend’s. Imperialdramon slowly became corrupted by the darkness, against his will. But slowly, even the will itself began to change. IceDevimon has total control over him now, but I know that, deep down, he is still…he’s still my friend. IceDevimon released him long enough so that he could fulfill his greatest goal, and I think you know what that was.”

“…To…destroy…IceDevimon?” I asked. Alphamon nodded. “But why…Why would IceDevimon—?”

“So that I could destroy all of the strongest Digimon who opposed me…in one fell swoop.” Without needing to turn around, I knew that he was behind me. The blinding light around me faded. I fell to the ground, and looked over my shoulder at IceDevimon himself. “So…we meet for the first time, Flamedramon.”

“…You…Just what are you trying to accomplish, you bastard?!” I rose to my feet, and glared at the demon. He stood amidst my comrades, all of whom still remained trapped and motionless in Imperialdramon’s light, as if frozen in time.

“As I was saying, Imperialdramon readily opposed me on many occasions. But, the power he possessed; oh, how I desired to make it my own,” IceDevimon sighed. “I knew neither of them would join me on their own. Imperialdramon obviously opposed me, and Alphamon remained loyal to him. Had I turned Alphamon evil, Imperialdramon likely would have cut him down. But, with Imperialdramon on my side…Alphamon had no choice but to follow along. You’re a fool, Alphamon.”

“…Say what you will,” Alphamon whispered.

“And now, with the Royal Knights formed in the name of Imperialdramon…I’m one massacre away from being rid of my most dangerous adversaries,” IceDevimon continued. “But, since he did such a good job of being a mindless puppet…I’ll reward Imperialdramon with that honor.”

“No…he’s a good Digimon! There’s no way he’ll destroy us!” I exclaimed.

“Oh, really? Flamedramon, you seem to be forgetting…just how easily people will change sides if it will suit them.” IceDevimon placed his long arm around Abigail’s shoulders. “Remember, long ago, you and this beautiful woman found yourselves opposed to the very guild you now lead.”

“Don’t you dare touch her,” I growled. IceDevimon simply smirked.

“Flamedramon…there may yet be some darkness within the two of you,” IceDevimon said, leaning over to lick the side of Abigail’s neck. “Perhaps…the two of you would be convinced to oppose Lachesis as well…?”

“…Well…you’re right about one thing. There is still some darkness within me; there may always be darkness in me,” I said. “…And that’s okay. There cannot be light without darkness. When I fought Barbamon, he and my son both helped me realize both of these truths. Light and darkness must coexist in order for us all to survive. But your darkness; it threatens the lives of many, and I cannot allow it to continue to spread! Now, GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OF MY WIFE, AND DIE!” I raised my claws and was poised to attack when I was struck from behind and knocked back down to the ground.

“…Really, Alphamon, there was no need to interrupt us,” IceDevimon said. “I had the situation perfectly under control.”

“Be that as it may, you told me your master doesn’t wish for you to interfere. Now, take Imperialdramon and go. I can handle them,” Alphamon said.

“Hm, you do raise a fair point; very well. Enjoy yourself, big guy.” IceDevimon snapped his long fingers and teleported next to the fallen Imperialdramon. Another snap, and the two Digimon vanished from sight.

“Alphamon…why are you doing this?!” I asked.

“I am simply following Imperialdramon. Nothing more,” he answered.

“No, you’re not! There’s a difference between loyalty and blind devotion!” I shouted. “If you were really his friend, you’d try to free him from the darkness!”

“SILENCE!” Alphamon held out his arm, and a blade of light cut through my side. “…You…know…nothing. NOTHING!”

“Then enlighten me,” I grunted, clutching my bleeding side.

“Imperialdramon; he…he’s saved my life more times than I can count. And I his. I can’t…just turn my back on him, even though his soul is tainted by darkness. The two of us swore an oath of loyalty and brotherhood to one another! I refuse to abandon Imperialdramon!”

“I’ve heard enough!” I held out my claw, and fired a burst of flames at the Exalted Knight. “My friends…you will free them when I defeat you; understood?!”

“…IF you defeat me, then I shall,” Alphamon said. “But…do not count on that happening! Soul Digitalization!”

“Flame Fist!” Our two attacks collided halfway between us; fire and light pushed against each other, giving neither an inch. However, when Alphamon raised his other hand, his light cut through my flames and pushed be back.

“You think you can defeat me?! I am the Lord of the Empty Seat! My light pierces the heavens and annihilates all!”

“…And I am the Fire of Courage! My flames of vengeance are the very flames of hell itself!” I rose back up and charged at Alphamon; my claw collided with his iron fist, causing another explosion of flame and light. Once again, Alphamon proved himself to be stronger than me and forced me back with sheer might alone.

“And you claim yourself to be among the strongest of Lachesis?! You’re pathetic! Divine Sword Grade Alpha!” Alphamon conjured a sword of light; standing directly above me, and as he swung the mighty blade downwards, a bolt of lightning struck him from behind. Alphamon’s sword slipped from his hand and planted itself in the ground inches from my head.

“Rise, Flamedramon; this is a battle you must win.” I smiled; I knew her voice immediately.

“…You two have great timing; Ophanimon, Cherubimon,” I said, forcing myself up once more.

 

[IamTheSovereign]

Chapter 220 - A Brief Interlude

Flamedramon​

“…You two have great timing; Ophanimon, Cherubimon,” I said, forcing myself up once more. The two Angel Digimon stood by my side, both glaring at Alphamon.

“Two of the three Celestial Digimon have come to fight; this just got interesting,” the Exalted Knight whispered.

“It won’t be a fight, Alphamon; with our strength given to us by Goddess Arcadia, it will be an annihilation,” Cherubimon said.

“…What Cherubimon means, is that we would prefer to avoid fighting, and talk without having to resort to violence,” Ophanimon said.

“That is the exact opposite of what I meant, Lady Ophanimon.”

“Hey…has Seraphimon been reborn yet?” I asked. “I know it hasn’t been very long, but…”

“No; we managed to find his Digi-Egg, but it will be quite a while before it hatches,” Ophanimon sighed.

“Well…this has been fun, but it’s time for me to do my job and eliminate you!” Alphamon exclaimed. “Soul Digitalization!”

“Terminal Judgment!”

“Eden’s Javelin!”

“Flame Fist!” One more time, my flames collided with Alphamon’s light, but with the extra power from Cherubimon’s and Ophanimon’s attacks, I was able to push through and strike the Exalted Knight. Alphamon was engulfed in light, and vanished completely from sight.

“…He wasn’t defeated. He fled…like a coward,” Cherubimon grumbled. I sighed, and looked over my shoulder at my friends. The light that immobilized them had vanished, and they were all able to move once again.

“Oh…Flamie, what happened?” Abigail asked. “And, why is my neck wet?!”

“I-It’s a long story…”

“Where did Imperialdramon and Alphamon go?” I heard Statch ask.

“And when did Ophanimon and Cherubimon get here?” Sieglinde asked.

“None of you…saw what happened?” I asked.

“It seems Imperialdramon’s light truly did keep them frozen in time,” Ophanimon said.

“Well…I can kind of remember something; it’s vague, but…I saw Imperialdramon’s armor…turn black,” Abigail whispered. “He dropped his sword…he was in pain…and…”

“…IceDevimon was there,” Eleanora finished.

“Yes…he was here. He somehow managed to take control of Imperialdramon ages ago; he was a heroic Digimon…but IceDevimon wanted his strength all for himself, and sent his own darkness into his heart. He’s now fully loyal to IceDevimon…and Alphamon follows Imperialdramon out of blind devotion.”

“…No…this can’t be,” Apollomon whispered, shaking his head. I could see the grief in his eyes, sense it in his heart; it would not be easy for him to come to terms with this.

“Yeah; IceDevimon let Imperialdramon form the Royal Knights so that he could gather the strongest Digimon in one spot and destroy them all in one swoop.”

“Damn; and we nearly fell for it,” Omnimon sighed.

“…This is my fault…I shouldn’t have…trusted them,” Apollomon said. “Flamedramon…you were right to not trust them initially.”

“Don’t blame yourself; that may be the case now, but Imperialdramon truly is a hero. He was simply corrupted by IceDevimon’s darkness…”

“As long as it has been, I don’t believe there is anything that we can do to free him,” Ophanimon said in a slow, gentle voice. “The best we can do…”

“…Is to put him out of his misery,” Cherubimon finished. “And if Alphamon plans on getting in our way, then we’ll have no choice but to go through him as well.”

“It really was Imperialdramon’s will to form a group to destroy IceDevimon,” I said. “He wanted to stop IceDevimon at any cost; but IceDevimon took advantage of that dream and turned it against us…”

“Well…in that case…in honor of his memory, I propose the Royal Knights set out to fulfill the last will and testament of our founder,” Omnimon said. “Together as one…we will destroy IceDevimon, his servants, and all of his armies.”

Matthew Kasuto​

Our entire group was locked in an unnerving silence as the sky grew darker and darker; a deep orange-grey that looked as bleak and hazy as our future. Various base camps were set up around our fortress to accommodate our increased numbers, and several stood around speaking with one another.

Matthew…I know what you’re thinking, Katsumi whispered.

“…How could I not? With all that’s going on…How could I possibly expect to be of any help to the others?” I asked.

Matthew…

“I’m only a weak little archer among all these powerful Digimon, and heroic warriors. What can I do?”

Matthew, you can’t keep selling yourself short like that, Katsumi replied. You give Coronamon the ability to Digivolve into one of the powerful Digimon you just mentioned! That in itself is very helpful.

“I guess…but what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Just stand back and watch while the others fight on? My wimpy little arrows won’t be able to do much damage to the forces of IceDevimon…”

But, Matthew—

“Hey, Matthew! There you are, buddy!” A large and powerful hand slapped me hard but playfully on the back as Sparrow sat down next to me. “How’ve you been, little guy? Man, I haven’t seen you in a while; not since our group split up to speak to all those royals. Where did you go again?”

“I went to Elphierr with Flamedramon,” I said. “And you were in Shendu, right?”

“Yup; didn’t go too well, though. Couldn’t get myself a single date from any of those lovely female knights,” Sparrow sighed. “Of course, Lucia made me stop after a few times…”

“Um…aren’t you engaged to my sister in the future we went to?” I asked.

“…Oh yeah! Wow, I almost forgot for a second there!” Sparrow exclaimed. “Jeez, where would I be without you, little guy?”

“Likely getting a facelift from being slapped one too many times.”

“…Yeah, probably. Well, it’s a good thing I remembered to buy this ring!” Sparrow reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.

“S-Sparrow?! A-Are you…?!”

“Yep; I’m going to ask El to marry me,” Sparrow whispered. “…Failing that, I’ll keep asking around until I get a yes.”

I rolled my eyes. “Good luck…”

“Hah! With skills like mine, I don’t need luck!” Sparrow boasted. “Come on; let me show you how a pro works!”

Yes, Matthew; watch him and learn what NOT to do, Katsumi whispered, nearly making me laugh.

“Now, which tent was she in…? This one, right?” Sparrow walked to the front of a tent a bit further away from the rest, close to where Wayland’s old forge sat.

“W-Wait, Sparrow!” I grabbed my friend’s arm. “Y-You can’t just walk into that one…”

“Why not?! I wanna propose to your sister, damn it!”

“But…well, that’s…one of the changing tents,” I whispered. “For…f-for the l-ladies…” I knew the moment I said that I had made a mistake. Sparrow’s face immediately lit up.

“I do not advise you to continue your advance, Sir Sparrow.” I turned around and saw Augustus standing behind us. “Marissa will most assuredly kill you in her sleep if you continue, and more than likely your own sleep as well.”

“Oh, but it will be worth—”

“…someone out there?” All three of us froze as the front flaps of the tent opened and Mia walked out, shirtless and wearing a towel around her waist. Behind her, I could see a few of the other girls in the midst of changing, only to halt when they noticed me and Augustus. “…W-What…the hell are you two doing here?!” she asked.

“T-Two?!” I looked around, and saw that Sparrow was nowhere to be seen. I glanced up fearfully at Augustus.

“We…a-apologize for the intrusion, my lady,” Augustus said nervously. “W-We were lost, and—”

“Like hell you were! You’re trying to sneak a peek, weren’t you!?”

“No, not at all!”

“Then start explaining before I get Lizzy to stab you!”

“I…Sir Sparrow was—”

“He wanted to ask my sister something,” I mumbled, steadily looking down at the ground.

“Well, she isn’t here; she’s in the fortress,” Mia said somewhat testily. “Now, get the hell out of here!” The Summoner more or less slammed the front flaps of the tent shut angrily. Augustus and I glanced at each other, and began running as fast as we could. We raced around the corner of the fortress and stopped to catch our breath when we noticed Sparrow sitting by a campfire with AeroVeedramon.

“Sparrow…what the hell is wrong with you?!” I asked. “How could you just leave us there?! And it’s your fault we even got caught in the first place, you dolt!”

“Aw, come on, you heard Mia; Eleanora wasn’t even there!” Sparrow whined. “How can I propose to a girl when she isn’t standing right in front of me?”

“Th-That isn’t the point, and you know it!” Augustus added.

“Ahh…guys, can’t you keep it down? Yell at him a little quieter, why don’tcha?” AeroVeedramon yawned.

“AeroVeedramon, shut up—!”

“Ah! You there, you dirty peepers!” I heard Isole scream. I flinched at the sound of her voice, and looked over my shoulder to see her approaching us. “You sick perverts!”

“W…We weren’t looking…” I said.

“You’re making excuses?! I’d expect this from Sparrow, but YOU, Matthew?!”

“You've got the wrong idea, Lady Isole,” Augustus said. “We were trying to stop—”

“There's nothing wrong about it! Now…how should I go about destroying the lot of you!?”

“Oh, speaking of,” Sparrow interrupted. “You have a cute belly button.” Isole’s face instantly flushed a deep vermillion.

“I thought you weren’t there,” I muttered under my breath. Sparrow shrugged.

“You really spied on her?” AeroVeedramon asked.

“It was an accident,” I said.

“Is that so…”

“Don’t accept this!” Isole shouted.

“Jeez, what’s with all the yelling?” A little bit of angst left me at the sound of Eleanora’s voice. “We’re trying to have a meeting in the fortress when I heard you guys start shouting. What’s wrong?”

“Ah! Eleanora, you won’t believe these bastards! Mia caught them spying on us in the changing tent!” Isole hissed. Eleanora glanced at me, and then at Augustus and Sparrow. “Can you believe it?! Your own brother!”

“Yeah, I don’t believe you,” Eleanora said, half-laughing.

“Sir Sparrow was trying to get a look, and your brother and I made a…failed attempt of stopping him,” Augustus whispered.

“Ah, now THAT makes more sense!” Eleanora giggled. “Sparrow, I wish you wouldn’t keep getting my brother involved in your little messes!”

“Ugh; whatever!” Isole snapped, and turned to storm away.

“…U-Um…El? There’s…um, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” Sparrow whispered.

“What’s up? I’m not mad at you for what happened; it’s not like I was there,” Eleanora said, smiling.

“I…need to talk to you…in private,” Sparrow whispered.

“Oh…okay. Let’s go.” With an anxious expression on his face, Sparrow stood up and followed Eleanora as she walked behind the fortress.

“…Is he really going to propose to your sister?” Augustus asked.

“He has ring,” I said. “…In the future we went to after we defeated Murmuxmon…they were together.”

“I see…”

“But…knowing Sparrow, he’ll likely mess it up,” AeroVeedramon said.

“I don’t doubt that in the slightest…”